Author's Note:
This is Chapter 9 of "The Kingdom [be]Comes"!
Ughhhh…this took so long to write. I just couldn't figure out what direction I wanted to go in. And then when I finally thought I figured it out it turned out too angsty. And then I fixed it and it turned out angstier and stupider. And then I fixed it again and blahhhh… so this is what I settled on after a lot of fixing and rewriting: there is some plot exposition, there are no duels (thank god), there is quite a bit of talking, and yes, there is angst but there is also romance.
And this may also be the chapter that Aki and Yusei finally kiss.
Or it may not be.
Hmmm…I guess you're going to have to read and find out…or not.
I hope that you like this chapter and let me know what you think!
Thank you for reading, for reviewing and for sharing your thoughts and also for pointing out typos! I hate typos because I'm trying to master the English language so this is a very helpful feedback for me.
So, once again, thank you and enjoy!
NineInchNailed.
UPDATE: This chapter had undergone some big grammatical/writing-style changes (starting somewhere in the middle) on 18/01/11. I have issues, I know.
"Go for it now. The future is promised to no one."
Wayne Dyer
Takashi sat on his hospital bed and absently tugged at the irritating itchy bandages on his wrist.
Yusei was standing next him with his arms folded while Aki sat at the foot of the bed. They were the two allowed in the hospital room so everybody else was waiting outside. There were three more beds in the room, occupied with the only other surviving duelists of the blood battles. They were all still unconscious.
"So, Takashi-kun, can you tell us what happened? Do you remember anything?" Aki asked gently.
The boy sniffed, lifting his large teary eyes to look up at Yusei. There was not a trace of the psychotic and maniacal behavior left in him: Yusei and Aki were looking at a scared and traumatized 14-year-old kid. They even spoke to his mother – who agreed to wait outside with others – for a permission to speak to him.
"I was a bit upset after losing the duel to you, Yusei. Well, a lot upset. Although I do believe now that I may have kind of deserved it, especially after damaging your girlfriend's bike…" Takashi mumbled, wiping his runny nose with his sleeve. Aki blushed so hard at the girlfriend comment she barely had the ability to concentrate on the important story. Meanwhile this barely grazed Yusei's ear because of how natural and almost "obvious" that sounded.
However neither of them corrected Takashi. And both of them noticed the fact but attributed this phenomenon to the necessary captivation with Takashi's revelation.
"So I wasn't really thinking…I was very angry. So my friends left after making fun of me for…challenging the King of Games…and I stayed behind. And then…the weird thing happened," Takashi paused, wiping away at his eyes now with his stained sleeve.
"What weird thing?" Yusei prompted, handing him a handkerchief.
"Thanks," Takashi accepted the napkin. "This is going to sound like I'm crazy but I'm not! Basically I heard this voice ask me, "Do you want to pay him back for what he did?" and it was inside my head. So at first I actually thought I was actually going crazy but the voice continued, saying something like, "Because you can pay him back, you can do anything you want, and I can give you means to make your dreams come true." Or something like that. I don't know why I said yes – I didn't believe this, you know? I guess it was just curiosity, the "what if?" and then…I only remember snippets. I remember the voice very well but after that, I only remember flashes of the duel…and then I remember being on a bike, some bright light…and then I woke up here."
"And do you remember any feelings or sensations?" Aki asked.
"Um…I remember this happy feeling. Felt like I could do anything, like I could fly, like I could squash any opponent…or something like that," Takashi concluded, looking down.
"Is that all you remember, Takashi-kun?" Yusei asked.
"Yeah, that's all," Takashi nodded, wiping at his eyes again. "I'm really sorry, Yusei. I've never meant for this to happen. I've always looked up to you. You're…a hero to me."
"If you're okay then that's all that matters," Yusei smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "But if you remember anything else then don't hesitate to give us a call, okay?"
"Okay!" the boy nodded. It was then that Takashi's mother came in and asked all of them to get out so her son could rest and they hurried to do just that.
"Learned anything?" Jack inquired when Aki and Yusei came out of the recovery room.
"A bit but nothing that really changes what we've already figured out," Aki replied.
"Anything at all is good enough. Are they keeping all the surviving duelists in one room for observation?" Yusei asked, addressing Ushio and Mikage.
"Yeah, they aren't sure how stable any of them are and since they've all come with the same cause the doctors figured that keeping them all together is more reliable," Mikage answered.
Crow sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "Okay…now what?"
"Divide and conquer," Aki responded with a smile, stealing a glance at Yusei who nodded back at her. "That's what we're going to do."
At 10:00am the following day, Yusei, Jack and Crow mounted their D-Wheels and raced for hours across Neo Domino city and the adjacent neighborhood of Satellite across the bridge in search of more sacrificial duels. They travelled to the obscure gang-ridden alleys in Satellite and upscale, prestigious neighborhoods of Neo Domino. And then they did the opposite, checking the high risk districts in Neo Domino and well off middle class neighborhoods in Satellite. They travelled far and wide and they found nothing.
It was at 7pm that the three guys were standing at the second floor of the busy Neo Domino mall and watching, bored and worn out, as the crowds passed by below. Where else would a God of Chaos strike malice if not at the busy chaotic mall occupied by hormonal and loud teenagers (basically themselves)?
Apparently they were wrong. Nothing was happening here either.
"At this point I actually wouldn't mind catching one of Set's duels," Crow mumbled, yawning wide.
"Don't say that. People not getting hurt is a good thing," Yusei leaned on the railing, still absently watching the colorful sea of people on the first floor.
Crow grimaced at him while Jack just shrugged, muttered "Whatever" and fished out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pockets.
"Jack, come on!" Crow exclaimed.
"Here?" Yusei asked, incredulous.
"Shut up, I only do this maybe once a week," Jack mumbled, putting a cigarette in his mouth and flicking the lighter.
Yusei sighed, snatched the cigarettes and lighter out of Jack's hands and pocketed them, much to Jack's fury.
Ten more minutes passed and Crow let out yet another aggravated sigh. "Ugh…this is so boring! Didn't Ushio say that there were twenty or something duels reported in a day or so? Did all of them just decide to stop overnight?"
"Maybe somebody tipped the pissed off god that we're onto him and so he decided to recuperate?" Jack offered unusual insight.
"That's possible," Yusei agreed.
"Okay, then I'll call others and tell them to call off the scavenger hunt and just come meet us here," Crow decided, dialing Aki's number.
As they were waiting for others to arrive Crow and Jack decided to entertain themselves by counting the number of all the hot girls they see. In about five minutes Crow had twenty, while Jack had three.
"What can I say, I have high standards," Jack answered when Crow picked out another one.
"Or you're just gay," Crow chuckled.
"Yes, clearly."
"Of course, it makes perfect sense! Anyway, how many hotties have you counted, Yusei?"
"None," Yusei muttered. He was deep in thought (about city's events and Aki) and wasn't playing to begin with.
"Alrighty…" Crow raised his eyebrows and exchanged a look with Jack. The blonde just shrugged, again.
Crow returned to scanning the crowd and then, five seconds later, exclaimed, "Okay! Check her out!"
"Hmmm…nice," Jack approved.
"She's so hot!" Crow continued spazzing. "Yusei, look! Look!"
Uncaringly, Yusei looked in the direction Crow was pointing and still he couldn't see anything. "Where?"
"Right there! The one with long blonde hair!" Crow exclaimed, practically falling over the railing as he pointed at the gorgeous girl.
Yusei still couldn't pick this super special awesome chick out of the crowd. Honestly, they all sort of looked the same to him. But then he noticed a flash of scarlet hair in the sea of yellow, brown and black and suddenly his pulse jumped through the roof. "The one with red hair…?"
"What? Blo-n-de hair, didn't you hear? Dude, that one…that's like her grandma, what the hell?" Crow stared bewildered.
Yusei realized that the person he was looking at wasn't the person that he was hoping to see and quickly looked away. "My bad."
"Geez…talk about low standards," Crow sighed deeply like he was a lost cause. "But man…she was so hot," he smiled dreamily. "I think I might've creamed my pants."
As if on command Jack and Yusei moved a step away from him.
"Yeah, I know, sorry. Graphic…" Crow went on. "But give me a break. It's been like months since I last got some. I'm like dying, man."
"It's been less than a day for me," Jack bragged with a satisfied smirk.
"Well of course…show off!" Crow scrunched his face and then turned to Yusei, blatantly blurting out: "What about you?"
Yusei was more private about this matter than Jack and, especially, Crow but he imagined that as his best friends they could figure out the timeline by themselves. But apparently not.
After debating between "none of your business," and "fuck off" (because seriously, who asks things like this) Yusei decided on telling the truth. "Almost three years, I think," he confessed.
"Still?" Crow's jaw fell open. "I thought that you've dealt with this by now! Especially the last time we went out? Seriously, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling fine? Are you dead from the waist down or something?"
Yusei scowled with irritation and opened his mouth to tell him off when he heard a girl's voice calling out, "Hey, guys!" and his whole attention immediately darted in the direction of its precious source. Aki, Rua and Ruka entered the mall, waved, and began making their way up to the second floor. A smile took over his features and he'd already forgotten all about his annoying friends.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me…" Crow groaned. "Is that it? Still? This just isn't funny anymore."
Yusei stood up straight and turned to face him. "Okay. You know what? If you've got something to say, Crow, then let's hear it."
"Okay, fine," the ginger Singer jumped to the challenge and began preaching: "You've had, what, two years to make your move? And what happened? Oh, yeah, you didn't. And, from what I've heard, now that the poor girl has finally tried to move on – because we all know just how much she liked you, for some reason, all this time – you rush in to crush all her attempts by dangling some false hope in front of her. Seriously, man, just let it go."
Yusei was shocked, having not expected this at all. He noticed Jack giving him a similar accusing look and gritted his teeth, irritation ignited within him once again. What did they know? They knew nothing. "Why? So that you can make a move?" he asked quietly, cautioning that Crow did not want to wander further into this subject matter.
"Actually yes, why not?" Crow persisted and frowned. "At least I'll be able to tell her straight up if I'm into her or not. Instead of continuing pulling her on a leash to appease my ego."
Yusei narrowed his eyes. He didn't think it was possible for him to feel such hostility and so abruptly too, especially towards one of his best friends. He was thankful for his superlative self-control, however. He barely ever snapped. "Because this has to be about an ego? It can't be because I may actually like her, right?" he said slowly, dropping his voice to a barely audible level, not wanting anyone to eavesdrop.
"Oh, we all know you like her, Yusei. Seriously, we've all always known. But that's not what this is about," Crow let out a deep sigh as if it was so obvious.
"Then enlighten me, Crow." This was going to be interesting to hear, that's for sure.
"How about the fact all of us, including you, know that you won't make a move, Yusei? Because we all know that to you there is nothing more important than keeping bonds together. Oh and ridding the world from evil. It's the responsibility for which you've been chosen and which you've accepted. So you'll do anything in your power to save everyone and everything and of course you won't risk anything to lose anyone. That's just how it is, Yusei. Come on, you know that this is how you are and how you've always been. And "romance" - especially any with potential to endanger your friendship - will never be priority for you. So I don't get why this is such a mystery to you now. I'm sorry, man, but come on! You - you of all people – should know better than to play this girl because YOU KNOW she's not just another girl, she's Aki and she's our friend, and as friends we must take care of one another. And that's always been your motto, has it not? So stop fooling around and wasting her time and let her go," Crow took a deep breath and made a carefree grin as he glimpsed at the approaching three Signers, as if he didn't just rant out some truly horrid things.
For one of the few rare times in his life Yusei was speechless. He was just staring, eyes wide, at Crow. It felt like he had just shouted all of that on top of his lungs and for all of the world to hear. It felt like all of his deepest and darkest secrets became public. Lost and actually kind of distressed he opened his mouth to retort (to say something, anything) but nothing came out.
And then, in a matter of seconds, a powerful anger awoke in him. But not at Crow, no, but at what he'd said. Was he that obvious? Was he an open book? Did everybody know him better than he knew himself? Or was it because his eyes were pried open to reality? Or maybe it was the fact that every doubt and uncertainty he's had about Aki and him just got reaffirmed? So being alone was his destiny? Is this how it had to be?
Tendons of something incomprehensibly heavy ripped into him, squeezed and smothered, weighing him down to hopeless depths. An impossible burden on him, one which he was suddenly made aware of…but…was he truly ignorant of it until now? No…of course there was a clue when the head mark of the Crimson Dragon passed on to him; and when the Crimson Dragon chose him as the carrier of the full engraving. When everyone depended on him to defeat Rex Godwin when the city was about to crumble down; or doing the unimaginable when the Arc Cradle showed up. The responsibility to take care of others apparently belonged solely with him and he was being hit over the head with this message not only by their enemies and unfortunate circumstances of his life but now by his own friends. It felt like Life just punched him in the face, kicked him when he was on the ground and then came back carrying a baseball bat.
He directed his blank stare to his feet, seeing absolutely nothing. He didn't hear Aki's, Rua and Ruka's cheerful voices speaking next to him and didn't feel the big hugs from the twins. Numb, inside and outside.
Aki, meanwhile, felt like she was dancing on clouds. Takashi was alive and well, there were no innocent people getting tricked and hurt today and then...then there was Yusei. A silly smile threatened to become permanent on her face. She could still sense his lips on her face, a phantom sensation that had kept her tossing and turning in her bed half the night. Because…for the first time she was almost certain that he liked her in return! This was the happiest conclusion. And she knew that she never wanted to settle for anybody else but him. She was back to the same spot she was a year and a half ago but she didn't care: it was where she wanted to be and she felt that something could come of it now.
"Hi, Yusei, how are you?" she asked the captain of Team 5D's with a bright smile and reached out to touch his arm, as inconspicuously as she could. But his response stunned her: he jerked away from her lightest of touches, ignored her greeting and, without even looking at her, turned to speak to the approaching Mikage, Ushio, and Carly instead.
Aki stood there wondering if there was folly in what she'd said or done; maybe he didn't want people to see that there was something going on between them? That was probably it and she didn't mind, deciding not to dwell on this or let it upset her good mood.
"I assume none of you stumbled on anything out of ordinary either, right?" Yusei inquired, his voice strangely monotone.
"Yeah, absolutely nothing. We kept in touch with the Investigation Bureau and Public Security for the whole day and there were no cases of those sacrificial duels reported anywhere around town. It's like the enemy is taking a day off," Ushio responded.
"We figured that Set must have found out that we're onto him and thus decided to rethink his strategy. That seems plausible enough, right?" Crow asked, stretching his arms behind his head.
While everyone was sharing theories and guesses Aki and Carly snuck away from the gang under the excuse that they were going to get everyone some snacks. In reality, Aki had phoned Carly earlier on, asking if they could chat.
"So, what is it?" Carly asked curiously as they stood in a long line-up for pop drinks.
"Um…okay," Aki said, drawing in a deep breath and trying to suppress her instantly blushing face. "So like…um…say a hypothetical situation. So a guy kisses you on the forehead, right? What does that mean in guy's language? Does it mean anything or is it more like a friend thing?"
"Somebody kissed you! Oh my gosh!" Carly squealed for a few seconds before offering a hypothesis. "Um…um…okay, I don't really know much about these things – you know how Jack isn't very touchy – but I think it's rare for guys to do that. I'm thinking it might be an endearing sorta thing…or something. So my guess would be that he likes you quite a bit."
"Oh! Okay!" Aki beamed, feeling even more excited and happier than before, if possible. She had to stop herself from doing a little dance, even.
"So who kissed you? Who? Who?" Carly pressed excitedly.
Biting her bottom lip and barely containing her bright smile, Aki whispered. "It was Yusei…"
To her outmost surprise she saw Carly's smile vanish faster than the speed of light. "Oh…really?"
Aki swallowed a knot in her throat. "Um, what's going on? I thought you'd be happy! Didn't you just say that what he did means he likes me?"
"No…I am…but…we've had this conversation before, Aki. We concluded that he's leading you on… remember? That he just doesn't really want anybody? It's just how he is, remember?" Carly whispered, touching her shoulder gently for support.
"Yeah, and you and I were saying the same thing about Jack and look how that turned out!" Aki hissed, irritated by her mournful compassion.
"But Jack didn't string me along for two years, Aki. He only stringed me along for a couple of months …and if Jack, of all people, finally decided to act on his feelings, then why doesn't Yusei?" Carly asked carefully.
Aki stomped her foot angrily. "You're wrong! So Jack sets the bar for what's acceptable now? You just…just don't get it!" She really wasn't thinking at this point, not comprehending that Carly had been in a similar situation as her and thus understood her better than anyone.
"No, Aki…I just...I just don't want you to get hurt, alright? And you've been hurt for so long over this. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to have come off so badly," Carly hurried to say and apologetically reached out to give her a hug.
Aki breathed in to calm down and hugged Carly, feeling kind of embarrassed for snapping at her good friend. "It's okay, I got a bit wound up. Just forget I said anything. Please? Nothing happened."
They returned to the gang with a bunch of drinks which were instantly inhaled by Crow and Rua, and then the whole team decided that it was time to make their way out of the mall. Aki tried walking next to Yusei but he was ignoring her existence completely and at that point she wasn't even sure if he had even noticed that she was here today. Slowly but increasingly she felt pain tugging at her heart. Something was wrong and she didn't understand what.
"Keep in touch in case something comes up," Yusei said, speaking one of the rare times this whole evening. Everybody else nodded. And then, inexplicably, he turned to Aki and their eyes met for the first time today. "Come with me, Izayoi, I'll fix that broken taillight and then you'll be on your way home in minutes." His eyes were cloudy and he looked elsewhere right after.
Aki winced. Izayoi? Why was he calling her like this? He hasn't referred to her by family name ever since they've become friends, and since then only addressed her by her first name. It felt like he was deliberately distancing himself from her. She felt lost and confused. "Okay, Yusei," she responded, forcing a smile.
Crow cleared his throat. "Yusei…um…"
"It'll be finished, Crow. You've got nothing to worry about anymore," Yusei responded grimly, a cryptic message that only Crow and Jack understood.
"Cool, cool…" Crow stroked an invisible beard, looking at him with uncharacteristic thoughtfulness, and then, to everyone's mystification (and Yusei's immense irritation), he jumped and gave him a huge hug for no reason whatsoever. "You'll thank me for this later, man," he mumbled so that only Yusei could hear and then promptly released him with a signature smirk on his face.
Yusei glared, angry and seething with hatred. Seriously, what the fuck? What made him think that it was okay to hug him, especially now, and especially after their conversation earlier this evening?
But deciding that the best thing to do would be to say nothing, he instead fastened his helmet and got on his D-Wheel, waiting for Aki to do the same. Once Aki exchanged her goodbyes and started her D-Wheel, he sped off in the direction of his place knowing that she'd follow him.
They arrived at his house in about fifteen minutes. He wheeled the motorcycle into the garage, silently motioning for her to do the same. When she obediently complied, he turned on the light and pulled down the garage door.
"This will only take a minute." He brought out his toolkit and crouched by her D-Wheel, still not looking at her. It was easier not to look. It made it easier not to feel, to feel nothing about his reality and about her.
"Okay…" Aki nodded rigidly and stepped back. She was frantically trying to remember if she'd said anything to make him upset with her. Because this didn't make any sense especially after all the lighthearted fun they had yesterday and how close they've gotten over these past few days.
Collected and cool on the exterior, on the inside Yusei was drowning. He was bitter and angry, so unbelievably angry. At that moment he came to realize that he hated everything. How was he expected to save the world from some ancient god of chaos if he cared nothing at this point? It suddenly became the most insignificant thing after having preoccupied all his energy since the beginning of this arc.
Nonetheless, he was acutely aware of the thick tension hanging in this room. And he knew that he had to say something, perhaps let Aki know that this was an impossible situation. It was only fair. Crow was right – she was his friend and he was hurting her with his indecision. He never should have let this get as far as he did.
"Listen, Aki. I need to be honest with you. I need to tell you that… I don't think it will ever happen," he started. He tightened the last screw on the replacement light (it really did take a minute) and got up from the ground, dusting off his hands and knees.
"What don't you think will ever happen?" she asked for clarification, her voice nearly inaudible. Staring at his back she was silently urging him to face her. He used my first name again. Maybe…maybe there isn't anything wrong after all.
Yusei turned around and his eyes found hers; that beautiful, wavering amber. "You and I."
Something collapsed inside Aki (my heart, it's my heart). There were no words to describe the blast of agony that slammed into her like a twenty-tonne truck. And perhaps it was because her emotional pain was so strong at that moment that her body mistook it for severe physical injury and abruptly pumped her full of endorphins. Yes, maybe that was why she was feeling so numb on the inside, why so dizzy.
Or maybe it was because she just died and her hell was a brilliant shade of blue.
Like a ghost she lowered her gaze, voiceless and dumb and walked over to her D-Wheel (he made it, this was his gift to me, why, she thought incoherently), absently brushing some dust from her seat and picking up her helmet; getting ready to leave.
Yusei saw light evaporating from her eyes and felt deep pain in his chest. He felt horrible. He didn't think…he didn't realize. He didn't think he was going to hurt her like this. His existential anger was almost completely obsolete, having been immediately displaced with something significantly worse. He was going to lose her, all of her. He couldn't let her leave, not like this, no not her, not one of his good friends, not lose her after he sacrificed what could have been to keep their bond intact.
"No, Aki, wait. I'm sorry… it's just-" he grabbed her arm to stop her (he so rarely touched her)…and a slap returned to his face, shocking him into silence.
"NO!" she screamed, violently jerking away from his horrible touch. "No! Don't you touch me!" She never could've imagined that there'd actually be a day when she'd slap Yusei and when he would so much deserve it. How could he say something like that to her and THEN attempt to console her?
Well, at least she wasn't so lifeless anymore. Stunned, Yusei gaped at her.
"What's wrong with you, Yusei? I would really like to know! What's wrong? Are you a psychopath? That's it, right? You are? Because only a psychopath would do things like this!" Aki screamed.
"Aki…" he once again attempted to reach for her but she smacked his hand away.
"No, I mean it: DON'T TOUCH ME!" she hissed, cat-like eyes narrowed with intensity. Getting stabbed repeatedly would probably hurt less than being touched by him now. "I mean, what else can it be? One minute you're acting like you're sorta into me and another it's like I don't even exist. Is this what you're into? Playing like this? Pulling me or whoever else – and I don't care whom! – on a leash? Screw you!"
"No, that's not it, Aki!" Yusei raised his voice, now frantic to have her hear him out. "I'm telling you I didn't mean for this to happen, I-"
"Oh, but of course you didn't mean it, Yusei. Of course, how could anybody stupidly expect anything else?!" she blurted out, almost wanting to punish herself for her naivety and unwilling to actually engage in any further discussion. She grabbed her helmet from the ground but before she had a chance to put it on he snatched it out of her hands.
"No, stop!" Yusei demanded, keeping it out her reach. "You have to listen to me!"
Aki's mouth fell open. She couldn't believe he was actually trying to keep her from leaving this horrible place! "Why should I? So you can tell me how you feel bad for leading me on? Because you were just messing around and didn't think I'd take this seriously? Because you never thought of me as more than a friend? I DON'T NEED YOU TO TELL ME THIS ANYMORE, OKAY? I get it!" her voice broke and she hurriedly looked away. Stupid tears were blurring her vision, betraying her stupid emotional self but she refused to let them fall; to let him see.
"No! I wasn't leading you on, Aki. I would never do something like that, NEVER. Especially not to you," he struggled to explain, trying to regain eye contact no matter how difficult it was to look at her right now. "I wanted this and recently I have been trying to make it happen…but I understood that it just can't." As he finished saying it he only then realized how idiotic that sounded.
Aki fiercely bit down on her bottom lip, nearly drawing blood, to keep herself from wailing out loud at another round of his words. He was so awful, so beyond cruel…and so sadistic. He was… a horrible, horrible guy! Aki never thought that she'd ever think this way about Yusei, of all people.
So basically, to summarize, he apparently wanted to go out with her for awhile now – but then, up until what sounded like a couple of hours ago, mysteriously decided to bother no longer? What the hell? All this looked to her like he never felt the same for her. She would've done anything to be with him…anything…up until now he was the man of her dreams...while he wouldn't even give her a try. Masochistically she concluded that he never truly liked her to begin with (it hurts so much, why shouldn't it hurt even more, after all isn't it the only thing people are capable of giving me) and, because confronted, was trying to play it off under some cryptic nonsense rather than say what it really was.
"Why not, why can't this happen? What happened?" she whispered nonsensically (because it's what I deserve, it's normal if those I love hurt me) and quickly wiped away the few hot tears that managed to escape, feeling humiliated. She hoped he wouldn't notice that she'd just shed some tears for him and feel some sort of pity for her. She already knew how weak and pathetic she was. She detested herself for crying so much, over everything, that waterfalls threatened at the slightest sign of unwell. Right now she was almost sobbing for being rejected by a guy. Wasn't that the single stupidest thing to cry over? Wasn't it? It had to be but why did it have to hurt so damn much?
Yusei was more ashamed at what was happening than he could ever recall. Worse of all was that he wanted nothing more than to tell her the truth and perhaps…go for it… But there was no choice. So he had to tell her something but without revealing to her what Crow had made him realize.
He was momentarily at a loss of words and during that time Aki spun around and finally gathered the courage – mostly fueled by anger – to face him. She looked into his eyes and, as always, his expression was completely unreadable to her. Aki balled her hands into small fists. She didn't know if he was really that emotionally blocked-off or if it was just her own unfortunate inability to read even a simple expression in him. But how could she if everything that's happened (he's touched me more in these few days than he had during our whole friendship…he kissed me… I saw something in how he looked at me, how could it have been nothing) was apparently only in her imagination?
I hate you. Right now I hate you more than I've ever hated anyone. How could I let you hurt me so much. How could you, of all people, out of everyone, hurt me so much.
Aki took a deep breath. "I think I'm done. I think I'm finally done," she said slowly, having gathered inner strength to control herself from either throwing punches at him or from curling into a fetal position and weeping. Her words were a mental declaration to herself as much as a declaration to him. "I would like to leave now, please," she concluded, trying to be as polite and as detached as possible until she could get home and cry until no oceans in the world could match her tears. She impatiently reached for her helmet which he still held in his hands, hoping that he'd at least be kind enough to oblige with her wishes and let her depart once and for all.
Yusei studied her, contemplating her request. And then, instead, he crossed the distance to a tool shelf and simply put the helmet up on the highest ledge he could reach. He refused to let her leave on these terms. He valued the bonds with all of them too much to permit them to be on a verge of disintegration like such. And he needed to make her understand his reasoning as much as he could without actually revealing the bottomless darkness of himself.
He turned to face her, seeing the absolute shock on her face. "Aki, please try to understand," he walked back to her but stopped when he was a good metre away. "I…don't think that I'd be able to take it if you get hurt because of me. I just…" he considered his next words carefully. "I don't think I can protect everyone."
Aki became sick with anger, sick and tired of all this mysticism. How dare he keep her here and then offer her anything other than a coherent and tangible explanation? "What does that even mean, Yusei?" she snapped. "You're worried about me getting hurt, for whatever reason? Is that it, huh? And yet you don't see just how much you're hurting me now? Really? How could you possibly be so oblivious?"
Yusei recoiled as if she had just slapped him again.
"The way I see it," Aki went on, unable to decipher the pained expression on his face. "Is that you just didn't want to be with me which is why you didn't even try. Because if you really wanted for this to happen then you would've fought for it just as you've fought for everything else in your life that you deem worthy, Yusei. I mean, what else can it be? How hard is it to walk up to me and just ask me out? You can't be that dense, Yusei, if you didn't always know what my answer would be!" her eyes widened and she quickly turned her back to him, mortified by her last revelation. She couldn't believe she just blurted that out. Great, I couldn't have made it any clearer how much I've always wanted him, she thought sourly. "But it's fine. I get it now and you don't have to bother explaining anything," she concluded and drew in a shuddering breath. Please don't say anything anymore and let me leave. Please, stop torturing me and let me go once and for all.
An unnerving silence ensued. Aki could only hear the deafening drum that was her heart. Dumb, it seemed to say, dumb, dumb, dumb. I know, she wanted to answer, I know because I willingly walked into this. I asked for this! Still she couldn't figure out why he wasn't saying anything and every second that dragged on felt like a millennium of stupidity. She involuntarily wondered if he had somehow left the garage without her noticing. She decided she'd take another five seconds before she would attempt making her leave again, with or without her helmet or his permission. Five…four…three…
And suddenly he spoke up as if he knew about the secret countdown in her head.
"I deem this worthy, Aki," she heard a barely audible voice and found it amusing just how unbelievable something like that sounded coming from him. It was almost unnatural. Absurd, even.
"I wanted to be with you, Aki. No. I want to."
There was an abrupt painful yank in her chest and her heart began fluttering in delight. Aki instantly forced herself to suppress that thrill, however, and simply shook her head to his words. She refused to let herself believe a single thing he was saying anymore: allowing herself all this false hope would be masochistic.
"I…I care a lot for you," he went on.
Another violent jolt of her heart that felt like a beginning of a cardiac arrest. Drawing in a deep breath, Aki twirled around and found his alert gaze locked on her.
"And had it been as simple as that then I would have asked to be with you years ago. Just as soon as I have met you," Yusei continued, his voice louder and steadier now as he tried to convey the truth in his words. He frowned, "But it was never simple. And I can't fight for something that I can't bring myself to risk." He averted his eyes briefly, to compose his thoughts and gather some courage, before facing her again. "How can I possibly do this?" he questioned, "How can I risk anyone? And how could I risk…you?"
Aki froze and swallowed a fist-sized knot. "Yusei, I don't understand," she repeated her confusion again. "I don't. How would you be risking me? Besides that…isn't all of life a risk? I mean," she paused, deliberating how to re-iterate his words differently in case that could push him in the right direction; make it easier for him to speak up. "You took a risk when you ran from Satellite, didn't you? You took a risk when you escaped prison. Or when you entered Fortune Cup, learned Accel Synchro, visited Crash Town… And you sure as hell took risks in defeating the Dark Signers, Aporia and Z-ONE. I don't understand…I just don't understand what you're trying to say."
Yusei involuntarily took a step back; glancing away he had fought hard from cringing as each of her truthful words scratched and pulled at the hidden inner layers of his soul. He didn't know how he could possibly tell her more. Let it go. Say no more. Telling her more would mean disclosing the hopeless truth Crow had made him realize about himself. And if he goes on…if he tells her more…then it would reveal his darkest secrets, his deepest insecurities, his most permanent flaws…
And she'd then see all those dreadful things about him.
Because he was always uncertain if…no, borderline fearful that…that…that… He swallowed in dry throat and after much difficulty looked up, studying the hurt glimmer of her eyes.
For so long now he's been torn with doubt. What were her potential feelings for him exactly? Did she actually like him for who he was or, rather, who she thought he was? Perhaps there existed only an idea of him – that of someone who offered her unconditional support, protection and friendship whenever she needed – and…maybe there was nothing beyond that. To speak now would break any confusion, any possible idealized image. Since Kiryu in their Team Satisfaction days, she'd become the first and only person to whom he could open up completely. Before her he'd stand, skin and bones, stripped off any illusion and hiding nothing. After this everything will be different, one way or another. If he were to do this then she'd never look at him the way she had before.
So was this what he ultimately wanted? Is this what everything's been building up to?
Yes. Because it wasn't about him, not truly: Aki deserved to hear the truth after all this time. She deserved to know that she was never the source for his indecision; that any setback was only the result of his ill-fated existence because to him she was perfect. Ultimately she was the draw.
This was the only time he had. Now or never; else he'd lose her once and for all, he knew.
He drew a breath and began uncovering his soul to her, word by word, skinning layer by layer.
"Because…what if this would make you a vulnerable target for our enemies?" he asked quietly, finding strength to continue in that stunning amber of her eyes. "Aki…too often has the fate of the world rested on my shoulders. Too often had this weight ingrained itself into my conscience, too often had everything depended on me. If I slip…if I make a mistake…if something happens, then how could I cope with knowing that I had let everyone down? That I had screwed up, that I wasn't able to protect someone? That I had destroyed someone's future? I value nothing more than my bonds with all of you, you know that. But I don't think I am capable of protecting everyone," he couldn't face her anymore and had to look away, feeling exposed. "And then…what if something happens to you? What if something happens to you because of me?" he finished and edgily waited for a response, convinced that the whole world could hear the rapid thunder of his flawed heart.
He could not tolerate any failure of himself. He could never forgive himself for any mistakes he'd committed. He could never forgive himself for letting anyone down. He lived in fear of one fateful day, a sliver of moment when he'd make a wrong choice, and accidentally cause everything to crumble down.
He wasn't always confident and he didn't always know what to do.
He often felt weak. Lost. Despaired. Hopeless.
And without his friends he'd be nothing. Nothing.
Aki was staring, unable to process what she'd just heard. She had forgotten all about her tears which she didn't even realize had completely gone away. How did he expect her to respond to that? What could she possibly say to that?
Quickly enough though, grief began looming inside her. But not a grief over herself and her own sadness but over him. Because not only did his confession reveal that he apparently placed her quite high on his care list…but that he bore some painful thoughts and deep-seated issues, as well as a heavy burden which she sadly didn't realize he carried or that they had all unconsciously placed on him. And now, despite everything and despite the agony of his earlier rejection of her…she wanted to break the distance and touch him. But she wouldn't dare.
"Yusei…you are suffering," Aki whispered. An observation, a fact.
Yusei winced but said nothing.
"You don't always have to be so strong," she continued, wishing he would look at her. "You don't always have to protect and to save everyone. It's okay to make mistakes because the only way to learn is from our own mistakes. That's part of life. And nobody expects the impossible from you…nobody! And in the event that they have to…" she made a small smile, "Then you are not alone – you have all of us, Yusei. All of us share this weight with you, don't you know that? Together we will help you achieve the impossible and you will never have to do it alone. You know that the bonds between us are forever."
Yusei closed his eyes but continued listening, holding his breath.
"The whole world is not your responsibility alone, Yusei. Only your life is," Aki went on. "You don't have to protect everyone," she repeated and then paused, collecting her thoughts. "People need to be given a chance to fulfill their own destinies, don't they? And," she smiled coyly, "You especially mustn't feel like you have to protect me from anything. I'd like to think that I could probably stand up for myself if anything should happen."
Yusei drew in a deep breath and sighed, feeling like something heavy and incomprehensible had broken away from inside him and made way for boundless feeling of ease. The permanent scars had somehow been erased one by one, with each word she spoke. The painful words of Crow (no, myself, they were my words) pushed out of his mind not to return again. He suddenly felt like he could breathe air again. And, for the first time since this evening, he felt like he could breathe freely.
She was right and she understood him. She understood everything so well and so unfathomably better than him. By saying all of those things, she offered him the understanding and support he didn't know he needed. She helped him realize just how lost in the fog he had been and how much he truly needed her. And he knew that he should have always trusted in her unconditionally. Because she always cared for him but he shamefully determined that as a sign of something shallow. He should have opened up to her a long time ago and not doing so might have been one of the biggest mistakes of his life. All this time…wasted.
Yusei Fudo opened his eyes and locked Aki in his stare, feeling clearheaded. Awake. Enlightened. Regretful. Determined.
Meanwhile, Aki wanted to hear a response but impatience got the best of her: she desired to address another part of his confession, the one which irreparably ingrained itself into her consciousness and nagged at every fibre. "But, um…Yusei, you also mentioned that you were worried that all this would somehow make me a v-vulnerable target," she suddenly began to stutter. "W-what…why would all that…I mean, I just don't…how would that make me different from everyone we know? How would you be taking a bigger risk with me?" She had a distant and hopeful feeling that she knew what he might have meant…but she couldn't be certain anymore. Not after he had told her that they couldn't be together just earlier on.
And either way, it couldn't be, right? It just couldn't be. Knowing Yusei he'd probably say the same thing to all his friends. That's just how he was: of course he felt for all of them equally and he made each one of them feel special and singled-out whenever he spoke to them or even looked at them … So that's what it was, right? He would feel the same way if Crow or Ruka or Rua were targeted by their enemies versus her…right?
Yusei stared in disbelief and then nervously looked away. How could he say more? Wasn't his confession enough? Wasn't it obvious by now? He irrevocably caused the silence to fall deeper upon them.
Aki directed her gaze to the ground, her relentless heart continuing jerking and scrambling, making her feel dizzy and breathless. "Yusei, say something," she whispered, extremely uncomfortable with this tension. She didn't know if any of her words had any impact on him or if she should say more. And she didn't know if she should leave now or what. "Anything," she pleaded.
Some eternal seconds passed with nothing happening when in her peripheral vision she saw his form move and then begin to near her. Aki quickly looked up to see what he was doing but, without giving her a chance to react, he wrapped his arms about her and pulled her to him. Eyes as large as saucers (Um…WHAT?), she stared ahead over his shoulder while he enclosed her in his arms and let out a deep sigh against her neck.
"Thank you," he said and Aki could barely keep herself from trembling at the sensation of his hot breath on her skin. The garage wasn't cold and neither was she…but his whole body was so warm, so impossibly warm.
"Thank you," he repeated and the next thing she felt was the hug becoming tighter and then his hand cradling the back of her head as he pulled her even closer to him, "For helping me realize the right thing. For helping me see how wrong I was. And I'm sorry that I had hurt you, Aki." Never again, he thought, never. Forgive me for having ever done it. Please forgive me.
Saying something like You're welcome was a bad and inappropriate thing to say right now but she was at a loss of words. "Yusei…" was what she managed to blurt out in her bewilderment. For the second time he's ever hugged her, she was dumbfounded and frozen in place.
"I've never been good with words," he continued while holding her securely as if afraid she'd push him away any second. "But I meant what I said. You are different, Aki. I…feel differently for you than for anyone else."
Aki tensed even more so in his arms, her mind racing. "Differently…as in…good differently or…?" she mumbled naively, unable to think of something more reasonably clever because being so close to him and after the chaos of the past hour, all did a number on her reasoning.
"What do you think?"
"I-I don't know," she whispered truthfully. The opposite wall of the garage was suddenly fascinating. "I just don't know, Yusei. It's all been so confusing..."
Yusei understood this meant that he had to be more direct and that it wasn't fair of him to expect her to read between the lines. And being that he was never very open verbally or too emotionally expressive made him realize that this was not going to be easy. But he was going to try.
"If I ask you to trust me that what I say next is the truth, then will you? Aki, will you believe me?"
"Y-yes," Aki nodded, trying to keep herself from getting goosebumps over his breath tickling her ear whenever he spoke up. This intimate proximity was driving her crazy. She continued to be as still as a statue, not hugging him in return or even moving, at all.
Following her answer, Aki felt his arms loosening around her and, less than a second later, he broke their embrace. She saw him, standing back so he could look at her, his eyes pierced into her. Aki stared back and was instantaneously stunned because she noticed that there was something different there. Something she didn't think she'd ever seen before. It was almost as if…tenderness. She realized she was uncertain if Yusei was even capable of expressing such a thing or if he was and she was just one of the unfortunate people never to have received it…until now.
Yusei fought to have his courage stay as it threatened to begin abandoning him at any moment. "Aki, then know once and for all," he began, "That for a long time now you've meant more to me than…anyone."
Aki stood motionless, gaping at him.
"There is nothing I wouldn't do…for you," he peeled off his gloves and reached to gently touch his hand to her cheek, causing her to wince. "And I'd do anything to be with you now. Anything. But only if you're still willing to give me a chance."
There, he said it. It actually wasn't that bad. A wave of ease washed over him...just to be replaced by a nerve-wrecking jittery turmoil in his chest. Abruptly mortified he now waited for her response, trying to conceal his nervousness from her.
Aki resumed just standing there, staring at him dumbly. Somehow, she felt that as if for the first time ever she could really read him. He seemed so open to her now, almost transparent…by the way he said all those things, by the way he looked at her… And when he asked her to trust him, she did.
She then also realized that she was on the spot now and, aside from feeling flustered, she began to feel lost. What could she do now? What could she say to him? Follow her heart's wishes and confess that she felt the same? Or was it better to refuse him for a meanwhile and ask for some time to think? What was the right thing to do?
"Don't cry," he suddenly said and with horror Aki realized that hot tears were streaming down her face.
"Oh god," she mumbled in embarrassment and hastily reached up to wipe them, feeling like an idiot and unable to look at him anymore. She had fought against them for so long, refusing to let him see her so vulnerable, but it was out of her control now.
But then she suddenly felt his hands cradling her face and gently tilting under her chin so she had no choice but to look at him while he began wiping away her tears.
"Don't cry," he repeated softly when their eyes met and the only things that existed in the world then were the clear cobalt blue of his eyes and the warmth of his hands. They were slightly rough and calloused, expectedly the result of constantly working on engines and being able to fix everything, and yet…this was the gentlest of touches.
And then the shock abruptly released and she nearly melted. Draping her arms about those wide shoulders she fell into him and buried her face into his chest. For a split second she felt him tense, as if he wasn't used to this, but then he relaxed.
"Yusei…" she mumbled, trembling. "Yusei…you're not messing with me, are you?" This was what she had always wanted to hear from him…what she had always dreamt of hearing…but somehow so much better, so much sweeter. "Because if this is a joke..." she trailed off, failing to utter a spunky threat out of which, of course, nothing would ever come.
"No," Yusei shook his head and embraced her.
Aki nodded into his chest and allowed herself to be held like this by him; so thankful that he just let her do this, that he comforted her like this. She could feel his breath, hear his rapid heartbeat. For the first time the silence felt easy, welcoming…
But this feeling did not last. Less than a minute later of basically cuddling with none other than Yusei, Aki grasped the situation and abruptly became self-aware, taking a step away from him.
Everything was moving too fast, way too much had just happened and there was impossibly a lot to process. What now? What was supposed to happen now? Taking some time to think now would probably be a good idea but what did she want to do?
The sapphire-blue was watching her intently but silently which did wonders to appealing to her self-consciousness. She suddenly realized what a disheveled state she must be in after all the crying and screaming and hastily began wiping at her eyes again, hoping to fix any possible mascara splotches. "Sorry…I'm such a mess," she confessed in a small voice, her face that wonderfully flattering shade of overripe tomato. She didn't even want to imagine what she looked like right now: most likely with makeup bruises under puffy eyes, hair all over the place, pale cracked lips with any colour drained by tears… He has to be looking at me and thinking "Ew".
Yusei continued studying her, saying nothing.
Aki proceeded to smoothing her hair with fingertips when she noticed him moving closer and wondered what he wanted now when…his gloveless hands happened to frame her face again. She quickly looked up, alarmed, but before she had a chance to realize what was happening he leaned in impossibly close and closed his eyes. A millisecond later, Aki felt his lips gently pressing against her own and at that point she stopped breathing. She kept her eyes open, just staring in shock at his closed eyes and at the jagged marker on his cheek.
This was the second time that she had ever been kissed. And there was no lustful urgency, no force in Yusei's kiss like she had previously experienced in her first…his was so tender.
Yusei held his mouth against her soft but immobile lips for another couple of seconds and then pulled away.
Aki gaped at him stupidly.
"I'm so sorry," Yusei instantly offered an apology and fought to stay composed despite the fact that his pulse shot up to light speed. He felt like he had just done one of the craziest things in his life: somehow, the messed-up WRPG battle against Aporia infused with a D-Wheel was nothing in comparison. "It's just something I should have done a long time ago." But he also understood that this was inappropriate, especially since she hasn't yet given a complete indication on what she wanted.
He mentally prepared himself for another slap when he heard an almost inaudible whisper.
"Yusei, again…"
"What?" he asked, completely astounded. He had to have imagined that.
"Kiss…me again," Aki whispered and this time he heard her without a doubt. His pulse spiked to light speed and without another second of hesitation he leaned in again. Her breath left her once more and she closed her eyes. And…there it was and it was electric. His hand threaded into her soft hair as he pulled her closer. Not really knowing what to do she lightly parted her lips to his kiss and hesitantly placed one hand on his shoulder. This time her shock had washed away to be replaced by wonder.
They held each other like that, savouring each other, but Yusei was the one to break it again. He still didn't know if that was a fluke and if she didn't want more. His eyes were glued to hers. His face was on fire and he was feeling disoriented, as turbulent and excited as he could ever recall.
Aki took a step back as if to catch her balance. The sting of the kiss burned on her lips. She touched her fingers to them, feeling the heat. She felt dizzy and didn't know if it was because of it or because she had unconsciously held her breath the entire time. Yusei…Yusei just kissed her. Twice. She stared at him, seeing the way he was watching her: eyes glistening, fiery, dark. She saw it then and suddenly it was as clear as day – desire.
"Again," was the only thing she said, unable to get enough. This time she took the initiative, stepping in and standing up on her tiptoes to kiss him again.
Yusei barely managed to suppress a groan from escaping him at the tempting feeling of her mouth and kissed her more urgently. He hesitantly let one hand touch her waist while the other rested on her cheek. This time he dared to deepen the kiss and delved the tip of his tongue into her parted lips. She accepted and he breathed-in at the contact, tasting her… it was the most exquisite sensation. And as scorching lust erupted through her, Aki's hand found a place at his chest and she could feel his heartbeat beneath her palm, astonished to realize that it rushed and scattered similar to her own.
Her moment of awe was ruined when Yusei suddenly broke the kiss again and Aki almost cried out in protest. He had to stop doing that!
"I'm so sorry," he started apologizing again. "I'm way too fast and if you want to take it slow it's more than okay and I think we should, I underst-" he began ranting but was muted by Aki's lips crushing into his, engulfing his mouth. At that point Aki had completely lost it in near-frenzy and simply latched onto him, greedily. Two years of pent-up tension really did a number on her.
Wow, was the only thing Yusei could think.
"No," she mumbled against his lips, "No. It's fine." She then jumped and threw her arms around him and accidentally ended up pushing him back against the tool shelf with quite an impact.
"Ow," Yusei grunted into the kiss, distantly hearing the melodious jingle of the falling bolts, screws and nails, some of the lighter of which (thankfully) fell on his head. He couldn't have been more grateful for not having stocked up the upper ledge with wrenches or motorbike parts.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry!" Aki instantly concluded her unsuccessful attempt and quickly began apologizing, mortified. She did an amazing job screwing up everything just now. "Are you okay? I'm so sor-"
Her embarrassed apology was drowned mid-sentence in his kiss when he grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her right back to him. Aki let out some kind of a soft noise and responded, feeling his arms encircling her again.
More, more, more, was spinning in Aki's head.
Finally, was the only thing on Yusei's mind.
They continued kissing each other in complete abandon and Yusei didn't know at which point he ended up pinning her against the wall but all he knew was that he wanted to keep tasting her like this and feeling her as closely as he possibly could. His hands kept moving from her hair, to her face, to her neck, to her waist, as if he couldn't make up his mind. Somewhere in the back of his head he also realized that his pants have become uncomfortably tight. He tried to keep a little space between them, not wanting her to feel his…excitement…yet, and hoped she wouldn't notice. The last thing he wanted to do today was to freak her out and have her run away.
Never could Aki even conceive that kissing Yusei for the first time would end up like this: with him shoving her against the wall and basically devouring her. It was astounding because Yusei always seemed so…calm and controlled. She could never have imagined that he'd be this passionate…and it was beyond hot. She always thought that their first kiss would have been after their first or second date where he'd walk her home and then give her a light kiss goodnight. And then, dates later, they'd progress to something like hesitant making out… But this, this...was so raw, so heavy and so zealous...and she loved it. She had never before wanted anything as much as this, him.
Some time had passed but after what felt like an aching eternity, the two Signers ended up sitting on the dusty garage floor, disheveled and flushed. He was sitting back on his knees while she was comfortably seated on his lap, her legs wrapped around him, and absently played with his hair. Once in awhile, they'd exchange kisses, ranging from tender to playful to passionate.
This time, Aki gently brushed her hand over his left cheek, suddenly transfixed by the smoothness despite of the jagged criminal mark which she thought would feel like a rough scar. It seemed almost as if it blended in with the texture of his skin, becoming indistinguishable. She didn't know much about the process of acquiring such a thing or how it was incised but she imagined it wouldn't be too pleasant.
"What was it like?" she whispered as she still gently grazed her fingertips against his cheek, "Did it…hurt?"
Yusei turned his head and the depthless amber captured him once more. He realized that it was the first time that anyone's ever asked him about the marker. It was always something either accepted by all as an integral part of him or was part of an unspoken understanding between him and any of his marked friends. He felt strangely touched by her interest.
"Definitely not something I'd recommend."
"That bad?"
"Yeah."
"You've been through so much, Yusei…" she whispered sadly and leaned-in to feather her lips over his marked cheek.
"As have you," he responded, closing his eyes.
She blushed. She never thought of her years as Black Rose Witch as equivalent to what he'd been through but, perhaps, they did share a few similarities. Both pariahs, once upon a time. Brought together by shared destiny.
"What took you so long, Yusei…" she sighed, once again finding the confirmation that he was the one she had always wanted. "I've almost lost hope… Oh, how you loved torturing me."
"I tortured myself."
"And why? Didn't you always know? That this is how it could be?"
I didn't. I dreamed of it but I always doubted it. I was afraid. "Because I thought it was the right thing to do or, rather, not to do… Because I figured that it wasn't affecting you as much as it affected me."
"And what did you finally decide on as the right thing to do?" Aki found in herself the confidence to tease him.
"Actually I've decided to make it up as I go now," he pulled back to look at her with a sly smile.
"Yes," Aki nodded, kissing his lips tenderly. "Yes…because…mmm…reason is the root of all passion."
"I don't think I've ever heard that before."
"It's a quote…from somewhere."
"Doesn't it go something like "law is reason, free from passion"?"
"I like my version better," she murmured and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to pull him closer.
It was closer to three in the morning when the two of them finally got ready to call it a night. Yusei was tempted, powerfully tempted, to ask her to stay over…but he knew better than to do that. So instead he'd oversee that Aki gets home safely by driving with her.
"Yusei…can you do something for me?" Aki asked as she smoothed her mysteriously rumpled clothes and stopped next to her D-Wheel.
"Anything," he promised passionately, implying that it would always be the case. He watched her every move, wishing that they didn't have to separate for the night.
Aki smiled, feeling embarrassed, and pointed at the top shelf. "Could you…take down my helmet for me?"
When they pulled up to Aki's mansion, she wheeled her D-Wheel into the luxurious six door garage and ran back to him as he sat waiting on his motorbike.
"Um…Yusei…are we really doing this?" she asked, shuffling her feet nervously.
"We're going to try, Aki," he replied quietly, reaching for her hand and pulling her closer to him, kissing her goodnight. "We're just going to have to try. I think it's about time that we did."
Yusei then arrived back at his place well past three o'clock, intoxicated by euphoria, not a sleep in one eye. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He and Aki…they were going for it. They were finally going for it. And he honestly didn't give a damn about all the consequences or all the doubts that he had about this before. There was nothing that could stop this anymore. It was meant to be.
He was standing at his front door and going through his pockets in search of keys when, having stumbled upon the keys, a pack of Jack's nasty cigarettes and Yugi Mutou's letter, he realized that something was missing.
Yusei's smile evaporated as he felt like he was dunked into ice cold water:
The Sky Dragon of Osiris god card was gone.
Yeah, this was a very long chapter. But on the bright side, Aki and Yusei finally made out! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Phew…finally. I mean come on, they couldn't possibly tolerate any more of that sexual tension before they'd explode!...
Okay, deep breath.
So, for next chapter: Will we see more Aki and Yusei making out? Or will they dare take it up a notch? Will more blood duels happen or will they, inexplicably, stop happening? Will we find out what happened to Yusei's God card? Will the God card be gone for good? And can anybody guess who might have taken it?
Stay tuned!