Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Chrysalis ❯ Before School Activities ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-oh is the property of someone else. I can only humbly worship the artist.

Chapter Four: Before School Activities

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Sunrise

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Jonouchi rolled over and looked at Kaiba's face. He was sleeping on his stomach with one arm around Jonouchi's waist and the other curled above his head. His thick brown hair was tousled into the little cowlicks that Jonouchi loved and Kaiba ruthlessly gelled into nonexistence every morning. The morning light did little to cover the dark circles under his eyes and the lines around his mouth.

Jonouchi reached out and ran a careful finger down one of those lines. It was times like this Jonouchi could see the face that Kaiba would wear in thirty years, worn, tired, worried. When Mokuba had told him last night what Kaiba was going through, he had nearly ripped the cell phone in half. The cell phone he had promised to protect with his life and immortal soul, and considering who Kaiba was in a past life, Jonouchi took that promise seriously.

Jonouchi carefully slipped out from under Kaiba's arm and padded toward the bathroom, grabbing a pair of boxers off the arm of a chair. He quickly relieved himself, shimmied into the boxers and carefully slipped out of the room, careful not to wake Kaiba. He walked quickly down the hall to Mokuba's room and cracked open the door.

"I'm awake." A scratchy, hoarse voice grumbled from within.

Jonouchi pushed the door open, "Hey, feelin' any better?"

Mokuba was bright eyed and sweating. His normally bouncy hair plastered limply down and his favorite night-time tee showing a blue eyes white dragon was patchy with sweat. His pale face was someplace between a scowl and tears.

"Where's Seto? I want my big brother." Mokuba whined. The tears were starting to win. One slowly started tracing it's way down the boy's cheek.

Jonouchi walked over to the bed and stroked Mokuba's hair out of his eyes noting that the fever had gone up a bit, "You just settle right back down an I'll go get him. You want something cold to drink?"

Mokuba nodded miserably.

"Okay, you hang tough and Seto and I will be back in a moment with a drink." Jonouchi tucked the child back in bed and hurried out the door.

He bumped into a maid who was heading towards Mokuba's room, "Could ya go get Mokuba a cold drink. He's not feelin' too good."

The maid curtsied and nodded, "Right away Mr. Jonouchi."

He opened the door and noticed Kaiba was still asleep. He hated waking him up, he was so exhausted, but Mokuba was Kaiba's heart and soul, he would want to know that his sick, little brother was calling for him. Jonouchi walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Kaiba," he gently shook one bare shoulder causing it's owner to mutter and curl away. "Kaiba, love, wake up." Jonouchi shook harder.

Kaiba jerked awake catching Jonouchi's hand in a crushing grip. It took a second till realization dawned on him and he loosened up.

"Jonouchi, what time is it?" He looked fuzzily around for the alarm clock.

"Mokuba's fever has risen." Jonouchi stood up and stepped out of the way as Kaiba scrambled out of bed, "I ain't a doctor, but I'd say, those tonsils have gotta come out."

Kaiba looked franticly around for some clothes. Jonouchi scooped a pair of jeans off the floor and tossed them to him. Kaiba started wrestling them on as he hopped toward the door.

"Where's that nurse? I hired her to watch him." Kaiba snarled as he threw open the door and stormed down the hall.

"Ya mean the one you called a incompetent bitch and fired last night?"

Kaiba gave a wordless growl and opened his brother's door, all traces of anger fading as he walked over to his brother.

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Breakfast

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Grandpa was sitting at the breakfast table with the newspaper and a cup of oolong tea as Yugi walked into the kitchen yawning and stretching. Yami groggily appeared from the puzzle and slumped over to the living room and curled into the armchair. The pharaoh was not a morning person.

"Good morning, Grandpa." Yugi poked his head into the frig to see what looked good for breakfast.

"Good morning, Yugi." Grandpa smiled over the top of his paper.

Good morning, Yami, sleep well? Yugi pulled out a quart of milk got a bowl.

Good morning, aibou. Can you turn on the TV for me? I want to see what the weather is going to be like. Yami yawned and settled back into the chair, drawing his feet under him.

Yugi set his things down and went to turn the TV on for his sleepy yami, then returned to the kitchen, grabbed his favorite, Frosted Sugar Coco-Marshmallow Zowies, from the cabinet and sat down across from his grandfather. He poured the cereal into the bowl, drowned it in milk, added a couple of spoonfuls of sugar and stirred it till the milk turned a dark chocolaty color. Yugi happily gobbled up the cereal then drank the chocolate milk from the bowl.

I don't suppose you'd consider not going to school today. Yami asked, still yawning and blinking owlishly around the room.

Yugi had half expected this. Yami had been plastered to the TV all day yesterday watching the semi-finals of the world chess tournament. Due to some brilliant maneuvers by the semi-finalists, the tournament had been extended to today. Yami didn't want Yugi going to school alone, yet couldn't bring himself to miss the games.

Yugi smiled at Yami, "Grandpa, do you mind if I tape the chess finals today?"

Tape? What tape? Yami perked up a little looking at Yugi

"No, no. You go ahead. I have to do the books today." Grandpa looked over at the TV. "I do have to say, you have been watching a great deal of TV lately Yugi. You have been keeping up with your studies?"

Yugi walked over to the cabinet and pulled a video tape out and inserted it in the recorder, "Yes, Grandpa. I'm doing fine. I just like listening to the news."

Grandpa nodded and disappeared behind the paper again.

A tape, you can tape the game for me? Yami peered over Yugi's shoulder as he started programming the recorder.

Yeah, I got a special eight hour tape that should cover the whole match for you. Yugi looked back at his curious yami. You won't miss a thing.

Can you tape other things as well? Yami watched wide eyed as Yugi performed some kind of arcane right with the recorder.

Tapes are expensive Yami and most of our allowance goes towards cards. Yugi finished the programming and set the recorder.

Yami sighed and settled back into the chair disappointed.

Yugi looked apologetically at him and reached out touching a invisible leg. I'll see if I can pick another one up next week, but it might mean we won't be able to get all those cards we've wanted.

Yami nodded, We can pick them up the week after. I'd really like to be able to see that World Economy Watch that's on while we're at school.

"Yugi, if you don't hurry, you're going to be late." Grandpa put his paper down and tapped his watch.

Yugi checked the time on the recorder and yelped. He scrambled under the couch for a second, emerged with a computerized version of Hooks and Ladders, then raced up to his room, only to charge back down the stairs a moment later stuffing the game into his pack and heading for the door.

"Grandpa, do you mind if Yuai comes for dinner. We have a test tomorrow that we've gotta study for." Yugi paused at the door to put his outside shoes on.

"I'd love for her to come over. She's a nice girl. You could do a lot worse you know." Grandpa placidly walked down stairs to the shop listening to his grandson sputter denials and protests of friendship.

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Walking to School

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Yuai hissed in pain as the girl wrenched her arm higher against her back. She thought the girl's name was Keiko, or was it Teiko. Or maybe it was Keiko/Teiko that was aiming a punch for her stomach. It didn't really matter. She grunted in pain as the punch landed. This had happened at least twice a week since she started attending this school. These four would trap her, drag her into a alley and beat her while a fifth girl would go stand watch.

"Stupid bitch. You give our school a bad name." The girl behind her snarled as she grabbed Yuai's hair and yanked her head back, allowing the other girl to punch Yuai in the face. Yuai took the blow quietly, all things considered, these girls were amateurs. Her dad, now, he could really throw a punch. She briefly considered inviting them over to learn how it was really done. Maybe afterward, they could learn the fine art of cleaning the kitchen floor with their tongues.

"You come to school filthy, dressed in rags." A girl, Yuai thought was named Tina, or Nina, or something like that, reached over and twisted the blue bow around Yuai's neck causing her to start choking. "You make us all look bad."

Keiko/Teiko decided that she hadn't finished expressing her opinion and punched Yuai in the stomach again causing Tina/Nina to lose her hold. A satisfied smile gleamed on Keiko/Teiko's pretty face as she watched Yuai gasp for breath.

"Filthy, flea ridden bitch." Nina/Tina pulled something bright and metallic from her pocket. Yuai twisted and squirmed, trying to break the other girl's hold. Punching, hair pulling, slapping, kicking, she was used to, but nothing good could come from that glitter.

"Hey!" A tall slender girl ran up. Her short brown hair swinging perkily around her heart shaped face. "Someone's coming. Better scram, we can catch up with the bitch later."

Tina/Nina pouted and returned the glitter to her pocket. The other girls dropped Yuai and they all scattered, leaving her on her hands and knees in the middle of the alley.

Running footsteps approached, "Damn. Stupid bitches. I know that was Anzu playing look out." A tall brown haired boy knelt down next to Yuai, "You okay?"

Yuai nodded and stumbled to her feet. "I'm fine."

"Fine people don't wobble." He reached out to steady her, but she flinched back.

"Hey, it's okay." His voice was soft, soothing. Yuai looked up at him. "You're Yuai, Yugi's friend." He smiled at her, still talking softly. "I'm Honda, I'm his friend, too."

Yuai remembered, he and a blond guy, Jonouchi had come up to Yugi while they had been playing backgammon, wanting to know if they could meet up after school for burgers. Yugi's concentration had broken there, causing him to miss seeing the flaw in her strategy and he'd made a poor move afterward. It had cost Yugi the game, but Yuai had still felt a twist of loss. He would spend the evening with his friends, eating burgers, laughing, then go he'd home to his grandfather and slide into his clean bed with never a worry in his spiky haired head. They had invited her along, but she refused saying she had to be home, her mother wanted to have her help make cookies for a potluck party. It was a lie. Her mother hadn't cooked anything for years, much less asked Yuai to help her with something. But, she didn't have any money to spare and didn't want to impose on the only friend she had.

Honda slipped his hand under her arm, "It's okay. Let's get you to the school nurse."

"No, I'm fine. Really." She straightened and carefully pulled her arm away. "Thank you for helping me."

Honda grinned, "No problem, any friend of Yugi's is a friend of mine." He comically slapped his forehead. "I can't believe I said that."

She smiled slightly and carefully nodded. She could understand. There was just something about Yugi. Something nice, something that made the best part of you come out, something that made you believe that there was still a bit of goodness in the world.

Honda gently slipped his hand under her arm again, and walked with her out of the alley. Protests of being fine aside, the slight girl still wobbled unsteadily on her feet. He'd see her safely to school, make sure the blood that smeared her mouth was washed off and then go find Yugi and Jonouchi. It was time to have a serious conversation about Anzu.