Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ A Perfect Match ❯ They Have Changed ( Chapter 1 )

I'm thankful to those who reviewed, you really made my day *thumbs up*

By the way, while the yami's will provide comic relief, they will not be evil, I'm also going to make Malik(the hikari) a lot more like Ryou and Yugi, it's not like we really know how he was before being taken over by his yami.

This is the next chapter, for you guys-

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…music?" Mai finished

"Of course, but why do you ask?" Seto asked obviously surprised

"Uh…um…no reason but anyway, would you please answer one question truthfully?" said Mai, she was afraid he would say no and then her plan to help him would be over before it even began.

"What?" said Seto his eyes still on the book he had been writing from.

"Why do you always avoid Yugi, Ryou and the rest?"

Seto looked up, `Is she playing with me?' but from her face he could see that she was completely serious, he sighed and leant back on the chair, "Maybe you should sit down," he suggested, trying to buy himself some time "It's like this," he went on, "at first I really did hate them, you see I thought that they had impossible ideals. I didn't believe in the heart of the cards and I guess I thought it was plain silly. That was until a bit before Battle City, then after all that had happened I just couldn't remain a skeptic. I started to like them and, in fact, I do like them but I had to rescue my brother and after I had been so nasty to them I couldn't say sorry, I just can't be humble and I've already forgotten how to make friends, and how to be a friend." he finished, `I wonder why I'm telling her all of this, I just hope she won't make fun of me' he mused

Mai sat still for a moment, trying not to get too excited `First stage of my plan is nearly complete. I know if I tell Yugi this he'll make sure that he becomes Seto's friend, that guy has a way of worming into anyone's heart. Having Ryou and Malik around won't be bad either; they are also like Yugi, just as forgiving.' Aloud she said, "It's alright to be shy you know."

"Yes, but not for me. I can't make a mistake, if I do Mokuba and my company might be taken from me."

"I see your point but can't you talk to them?"

"I told you why I can't"

Mai sighed, "I doubt even the nobles of Egypt were this proud!"

"Of course they were, I was one of them" Seto smirked

"I forgot… can't you even let a girl make a good comeback?" said Mai in a huff

"Yes I can, but that was not a good comeback" replied Seto, plainly enjoying the showdown of words

"Why do you fight so much with Joey anyway?"

Seto looked taken aback at the change of subject, "One thing I can't tell you" he replied after a moment

"Please tell me" Mai said this not in a pleading voice but in a cooler business-like one, she instinctively knew pleading only worked with him if it was his brother who was doing it.

Seto answered, "Because, when he tries, he can actually come up with worthwhile insults" `And looks very flustered and adorable when he can't' he added silently to himself

"You mean you actually like being insulted? Weirdo"

"I never said I like being insulted, I like the word play. I learn a few extra insults that way too." He nearly smiled

`So, next proof that he likes Joey. Aside from Mokuba, he's the only subject that can make Kaiba smile, or as close to smiling as KAIBA ever gets.'

Somewhere in the house a large clock chimed ten times, it was now ten in the night.

"I had better get back home" Mai said, "I'll see you in school tomorrow"

Seto nodded, "Good night"

Back to the apartment dear friends, it was now 7:15 in the morning and from the adjoining bathroom of the same room as before came a soft voice singing.

Despite public belief, Joey actually was a morning person. He usually looked so grumpy just because he had to go to school. At the moment he was thinking, `I'll take my roller blades to school; I'll use them when coming back since I need to use the bus now.'

From outside came a call, "Joey, breakfast's ready."

Joey yelled back, "Coming dad"

He dressed quickly and jumped into the next room, "Good morning dad"

"Well, you sure seem perky today" said his dad

"Yeah, for once I actually got all my homework done" joked Joey

Joey's dad glanced at the watch hung above the television, "No offence Joey, but if you don't hurry I don't think you'll be able to hand any of it"

Joey gulped down his milk and grabbed his roller blades as he went out, "Thanks Dad, bye."

He sped off to the bus stop where he arrived at the same time as the bus. After he got in the bus he took a back seat, and resigned himself to a long wait for the others. He was humming a tune when he started wishing he had his music player when he suddenly realized, "I DO HAVE IT".

Unfortunately the realization came too loudly for the rest of the bus who turned around and glared at him, not that he noticed, he had already taken out his player from his bag and was listening to Destiny's Child, an English band he loved. All too soon the rest of the gang arrived and Joey had to put away his things quickly, no one knew about his tastes, they probably wouldn't have minded but he felt as if he had been lying to them

when he didn't tell them about what he liked, even though what they thought of his tastes were actually assumptions and not anything he himself had said. No sooner had he put his things away, Tristan came and slapped his back, "Hi, pup"

`He should know better than to tease me like that' thought Joey furiously, his face though was oddly cool, he replied, "Oh yes, hello you abomination of mankind"

Everyone burst out laughing, for some reason the way Joey said it made it sound even funnier than it normally would have. Tea all the while was thinking, `After yesterday, I think I broke down a wall Joey had built around him. I'm quite sure that we are going to see a new Joey Wheeler soon. After all, if he started to read and we didn't find out…what else about him didn't we know?'

Out of the others, Tristan had started fighting with Joey and only the hikaris noted something different, especially Malik who, being new to the group had tried to fix his ideas about everyone there, he certainly hadn't expected this of Joey, he narrowed his eyes and gazed thoughtfully at Joey, `Is he ill? Or has he changed since Battle City? I don't think he would have done anything like this there. In fact, until today I have never seen him being serious, least of all when he's insulted'

At that moment Joey felt Malik's gaze on the back of his head, he turned around and smiled at him, reassuring him.

Soon enough the school rolled around, not too soon for Joey whose face was beginning to ache from laughing, courtesy of Tristan's tickle attacks. Joey jumped out of the bus as soon as it stopped; followed by Yami who was trying to run away from Bakura. Marik, to everyone's surprise, was the most dignified of the three. He waited in line and got off gracefully. Tea got off last and started scanning the surroundings for Mai who had called her the last night and asked to talk to her, "Hey, Tea" she heard simultaneously with a tap on her shoulder

"Mai, hi" Tea replied

"Can I talk to you alone for a second?"

"Sure" Tea shrugged though inside she was burning with curiosity

Mai pulled Tea to a big tree, out of earshot. "Listen Tea, I need your help setting up two people, you might not like the people so you have to promise not to tell anyone if you don't want to help me, alright?"

"Oh, alright, who is it? And do you know whether any of them like the other or not?"

"Just don't freak out okay? It's Joey and Kaiba. And I know for a fact that Kaiba likes Joey!"

To Mai's astonishment, instead of freaking out Tea nearly screamed out "Yahoo!"

"What's the matter Tea? Have you gone mad?" she inquired

"No, it's just that I know for a fact that Joey likes Kaiba.

"That's like terrific news, but I have to know; how did you find out?"

"Well, Joey told me. But more to the point, how did you find out that Kaiba likes Joey?"

"I read his diary, and I figured out a lot more about him as well. The story goes like this…" and Mai narrated all the incidents of the day before to Tea

"Wow, Kaiba's poker face sure is effective, he should be glad that he did not take up dance. Expressing emotions sure isn't his strong point" said Tea, too shell-shocked to say or even think much more"

"Anyway so you'll help?" pressed Mai

"Of course I'll help" Tea exclaimed, "But for the moment let's get to class, I'll talk with you later" she added

"Yeah, bye"

The two ran into the school and then into different rooms as their homeroom classes were across from each other. Tea arrived gasping and panting but in time, Mai wasn't in Lady Luck's good graces though, and got detention the next day. The next day because her teacher was `busy', Mai sighed and mentally rolled her eyes, `Everyone knows that her `darling' boyfriend is the world to her' she thought sarcastically and dumped her books on the first empty desk she saw which was next to she noted, Kaiba. `That's good, I can get closer to him this way, I don't care if she catches us talking. She won't say anything; it's always "Oh hello, Mr. Kaiba" and the tone she uses!' Mai shuddered `I wonder if she would give up her boyfriend for Kaiba?' she mused, `Not that she'll have the chance if I have a say in it'

"Hi Kaiba" she said coolly

"Hello, Valentine" he replied in the same way

Mai realized with a jolt that he had never called her anything at all before, `But it feels so cold to be called by your surname, and he has to go through with it all the time'

The teacher passed by just then so she didn't say anything else. As soon as she was gone, Mai leant over and whispered, "Call me Mai"

Seto hesitated, when Mai smiled comfortingly and said, "I won't call you Seto yet if you don't like it"

"Thank you" he muttered

The teacher started calling out names, "Here" called Mai when she heard hers

"Here" Seto said a few minutes later when his name was called

They separated outside as they only had one class together, which was after lunch.

Mai somehow struggled through the day; even though she was just too excited too pay attention. Unfortunately for her, she didn't share any classes with Tea that day and she had to go talk to a teacher at lunch. Mai nearly strangled the teacher when he laughed and told her at the end of lunch period that she was the wrong person, she needn't have come at all.

`He is so annoying, isn't he the teacher that taught the juniors that Jupiter was the hottest planet?' she grumbled to herself as she stomped off to her next class, she brightened though when she realized that it was with Seto.

She slipped into a seat at the corner besides Seto's usual place. Seto arrived a few minutes later with the general crowd of students. He sat beside her and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Mai jerked up and blinked at him, confused, "What do you mean? I'm perfectly fine"

"No, you're not. You have dark circles around your eyes, you look ready to murder and you look very sleepy. A combination which I had until now thought impossible to pull off. Also you were not at lunch."

"Oh, I'll explain, I was talking with someone last night until almost twelve so I didn't get much sleep, I had to meet a person in lunch but a professor stopped me and asked to talk to me at lunch and at the end told me that I was the wrong person, do you know how annoying…Kaiba? What are you looking at?"

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I know, I know. The chapter sucked, I'll try to make the next one a lot better. Actually I had writer's block (already!) And this is all I could squeeze out of the dry sponge that is my brain. Since I'm giving cliffie's I'll put all the chapters up as soon as possible. By the way, I'm really not lying I have the next chapter written and I'll put it up as soon as I get enough feedback.

FF.net is the best! The people are so friendly