Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Chrysalis ❯ Lost ( Chapter 18 )

Disclaimer: Yugi-oh is the property of Kazuki Takahashi, who is a genius.

Dragonmaster TC: Poor Yugi Muse. I had problems when I was writing Anzu's punishment scene. I just couldn't get it out, then I realized the problem was that one part of me (the rational, be a good person, part) wanted to be gentle and the other part ( my wild muse) wanted to rip her to shreds. When I finally shut my rational mind up and let the wild muse free, the scene flowed. Hope your muse gets free soon. Ohhh, no! Not Jerry Springer!!!! Flee, innocent characters, flee!^-^

Dugfinn: Hey, I read your fic with the broccoli. And you call me good??!! You rock. I like Bakura/Ryou too, and I just might write the Bakura piece, if not immediately, then soon. I already know the reason why he was doing the homework and it's hilarious. I'll give you a clue. H.U.G.S.

Rowan Girl: I won't abandon the story arch. I just want to take a break to kill a few plot bunnies. The Chrysalis story arch is actually going to be at least three stories long and probably a lot longer.

Casey K (lazy ;)) : Number 2, hmmmm. I like that one too. I'll think about it. Thanks!!

Saki: I liked the last chapie too. It was lots of fun to write. I hope you like the matzo balls.

Sesshomarusgirl586: Thanks.

Chrysalis

Chapter Eighteen: Lost

~*~*~*

Jonouchi & Kaiba- Monday Morning

~*~*~*

Kaiba lolled on his bed watching as Jonouchi buzzed around the room getting ready for school, unconsciously putting on a riveting show for his captive audience. It was a mesmerizing solo performance with three acts and an encore. Kaiba appreciated the fine subtleties, delightful choreography and stunning scenery it provided. It was one of the best productions that he'd ever witnessed and would be more than happy to give the main star of the little production a personal review with glowing commendations.

The show had begun when Jonouchi had emerged from the shower wrapped in a towel searching for his underwear, with tousled, half dry hair, muscles moving silkily under damp golden skin, with delicate trails of water tracing down the tempting, sculpted planes of his back till they reached the low slung towel and disappeared. Kaiba had carefully considered the artistic statement of the towel, then decided that the costuming director should win an award. The innuendo and sensuality of the water was nicely balanced by the innocent preoccupation of the performer. Kaiba gave high marks to the director for the contrast. As soon as the underwear had be found, Jonouchi had gone in to dress for act two.

That started when Jonouchi reappeared, now dressed in his school trousers but still shirtless, searching for his socks. The socks, unearthed from the bottom of the closet, providing his breathless audience with a fine view of sleek muscles and a firm bottom accented nicely by the blue slacks, had required that Jonouchi perch on the edge of the bed, muscles flexing, hair falling forward displaying a smooth, enticing, vulnerable curve of neck, that seemed to beg to be nibbled at. This time the costuming was a bit more subtle and, without the provocative sparkling tracks of water droplet's, lacked the subtle finesse of the last act, but he felt the tension still remained and was aided by the choreography. Jonouchi had then scampered off, back to the bath to find his deodorant, leaving his audience to ponder the delightful imagery and prepare for act three.

Act three had begun as Jonouchi pattered back out pulling on a tee-shirt, limbs flexing, stomach taunt. Kaiba had sat mourning the loss of the expanse of delicious skin when Jonouchi went for subtly. He put on the school jacket, nimble cleaver fingers weaving the buttons into their holes. Mesmerized, Kaiba's eyes followed each flick, twist and stroke, silently applauding the playwright for that bit of genius. Lost in artistry, he curled in bed imagining other things those fingers could do, when Jonouchi departed out the door for breakfast and a brief intermission.

Then, after breakfast, was the encore as Jonouchi swayed and bent and leaned in a variety of poses as he searched for his school supplies. A book under the bedside table, an eraser that had wandered behind the curtains and a floppy disk that had become wedged behind the bookcase, had provided the opportunity for Jonouchi to display a genius for posing in erotic tableaus. Kaiba appreciated each one with a connoisseurs appreciation for beauty and a heavy dose of pure lust. Unfortunately, like most truly spectacular experiences, it was short lived.

Mokuba popped his head in the room and smiled hopefully at his brother, "Are you sure you don't want me to stay home?"

"Go to school Mokuba." Kaiba yanked his eyes off Jonouchi's backside and glowered at his sibling.

"How about the shooting? Won't I be in danger?" Mokuba rounded his eyes, making them look big and soft and defenseless.

"Security has it covered, just stay inside at lunch." Kaiba let his eyes drift back to Jonouchi, who was down on his hands and knees trying to pull a paper out from under the desk.

"But what happens if you need something?" Mokuba made his eyes bigger and even more innocent.

"Go. Now." Kiaba forced himself not to snarl at his brother, reminding himself yet again that he loved the kid. It was getting hard to remember. See if you ever get another gummy worm in your lifetime.

Till this illness, Kaiba had been under the delusion that Kaiba Corp. was a duty that he endured for the sake of providing for his brother, now he knew the truth, Kaiba Corp. was the reason he hadn't murdered the little demon spawn. He had spent years feeling guilt, guilt that he wasn't there for Mokuba when he was at work, guilt that he wasn't providing for Mokuba if he was home, guilt that he was failing his brother. Now, as he watched his lover snatching up his scattered homework, he didn't feel guilt. Now, all he wanted was to go to work, get away from his brother, hide in Kaiba Corp.'s glass tower till he got over the urge to throttle the brat. Or call an exorcist. I wonder if they really do house calls.

"Okay. Just thought I'd ask." Mokuba disappeared.

"Ya promise to stay home." Jonouchi smashed the last of his books into his bag and started searching for his favorite pencil, bending forward at the waist as he checked the cushions of a chair, pants clinging enticingly.

"Do I have a choice? May I remind you that I have no clothes." Kaiba growled staring up at the ceiling, trying to get his hormones in check.

Jonouchi grinned and walked closer to the bed, "But you look so damn sexy in the boxers."

Kaiba nearly groaned in defeat as rolled over on his side and looked at him, "You know the old phrase about payback, don't you."

Jonouchi leaned forward and lightly kissed Kaiba, "Lookin' forward to it."

Naughty thoughts sauntered around Kaiba's head as Jonouchi straightened and headed for the door. Not that he was getting any. Apparently, someplace along the way, Jonouchi had interpreted the doctor's orders to mean no sex. Which, Kiaba supposed, did motivate him to get better faster, if for no other reason than he wouldn't have to spend so much time stuck in bed, alone, bored, and horny. Tomorrow, though, was going to be a different story. He fully intended to spend a very long time, making up for a very long time.

"I'll pick up your homework for ya." Jonouchi turned at the door, wanting to see Kaiba one last time before he headed off to school. It still amazed him, that he was standing there, talking to Kaiba, smiling at him, could walk over a claim a kiss if he wanted. He almost went back, just to touch, to feel satin soft skin under his fingers, to feel nimble hands slip around him, pulling him down to sleep scented sheets, demanding velvet lips, tangles of limbs and heat and want and delicious tension and pleasure and… he gave a quick smile and bolted out the door nearly running down the staircase. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Love, I hope you ain't planning on going to anywhere tomorrow, cause ya ain't getting' outta bed.

~*~*~*

Yuai

~*~*~*

Yuai stood at the corner waiting for Yugi and Honda. She couldn't wait to see Yugi's face when he saw her with her new uniform, new hair cut and new shoes. She could imagine his happy smile, his laugh. It was for that moment that she looked forward to this day. For the few moments that Yugi would smile at her would see her through what she was going to do.

Today was the day, the first time in her life she was going to break The Rule. The rule that said, you will not tell. No matter how bad it is, you will not tell. You will not tell when your father uses you as a fuck toy. You will not tell when your mother hits you in the stomach with a hot frying pan. You will not tell where the bruises come from. You will not tell how your bones got broken. Today, she was going to tell. She was going to walk into the principle's office and start telling about her parents, about Ekko, about everything.

But she needed her friends and they were late. She looked anxiously at the clock outside the bank across the street. If they didn't come soon, they would be tardy to first period. She didn't mind for herself, she had no intention of going to first period, she would be heading straight for the office, but Yugi and Honda would catch it if they didn't hurry. I hope nothing bad happened.

She waited a few more minutes. Maybe Yugi's grandpa drove them to school. If not I'll find Jonouchi and he'll know. Hopefully.

Wanting to find out if her friends were all right before school started, she turned and quickly ran down the street, heading for school. It wasn't a long way away. Just under half a mile, but more than enough to make her stop and pant as she dashed into the school yard. It was still early enough that the main doors to the school weren't open and most of the students were anxiously waiting in the winter school yard for their chance to get into the minimally heated building.

She looked around hoping to spot her friends, Jonouchi was leaning against the side of the school building, out of the direct wind, talking with a boy, she thought his name was Ropa, or Roba, or Rob, or something like that. He saw her and casually waved, then went back to his conversation. A couple of girls from class were standing in the entrance of the school, waiting for the doors to open, and a few boys were tossing around a basketball in an absent minded way as they chatted in the sun, but no Yugi, no Honda.

She walked around to the side of the building, near the side door, finally spotting them sitting on a bench, looking out toward the game field.

She smiled happily and walked over to them. "Hi."

They both stiffened and turned to look at her. Honda frowned and stood up. Yugi looked away, not even bothering to return her greeting. Yuai felt the smile slip from her face.

"What do you want?" Honda's voice was hard, cold. It wasn't the voice of her friend.

Yuai stopped, confused. "I…I waited for you at the corner, and you didn't come."

"So." Honda stepped forward, angrily. "We have better things to do than wait for some lying, little bitch."

Yuai took a step back, astonished. She knew that tone of voice, she knew the way he moved. She'd seen them too many times, just before her parents would start beating on her. But why? Why? They were her friends. She took another step back as Honda took another step forward, her eyes widening in fear, her voice caught, muted by sudden unexpected fear.

Yugi reached out and touched Honda's arm stopping him, then turned and looked at her. His gentle, beautiful eyes were cold, distant, hiding, even as they looked directly at her. "Go away."

"Yugi? What…" Yuai stepped backward again, away from the look, away from Honda's suddenly menacing presence.

"Go away. I don't want to see you." Yugi turned away, releasing Honda's arm.

Yuai went away. Yuai went away as quickly as she could as Honda took another step forward. She ran back to the school yard, scuttling up the steps, looking fearfully back over her shoulder, half expecting the new, terrible Honda to appear. She stood shivering in a small corner, away from the girls who were still chatting, wondering what had happened.

Everything had been fine on Friday. She had gone to Yugi's home after school, Honda walking with them, then staying around as they all sat around Yugi's kitchen table doing homework and drinking hot tea. Then Honda had left and they'd played a couple rounds of Mousetrap before she left. She hadn't seen either of them since. Nothing had happened. Nothing to cause Honda to be so mad. Nothing to make Yugi look at her like he couldn't stand to see her. Nothing.

The door clicked open as a teacher finally unlocked it to allow the half frozen students to tumble into the building's warmth. Yuai quickly put her shoes in her cubby and slipped on her slippers, trying to get out of the way before Yugi and Honda came in. She hurried down the hall into the class and stopped short. Oh no! Oh no! I sit in back of Honda. She stood in the door, dithering, when a hand fell on her shoulder. She jumped, wrenching herself away, expecting the worst, only to find a embarrassed Mr. Yoshida looking at her.

"I'm sorry to startle you, Yuai." He smiled soothingly and reached out a hand, "but you have to come with me."

~*~*~*

Yugi, Honda and Jonouchi

~*~*~*

Jonouchi looked down at his lunch at what looked like a giant golf ball floating in yellowish water. He checked the menu board, then checked his tray again. "A matzo ball? What the heck is a matzo ball?"

Yugi poked at it with his fork, causing it to carom around the tray, sloshing yellow water on to the pastel colored carrots, that sat droopily to one side of the tray. "Maybe it's like a really hard rice ball."

"Maybe you have to crack it open before you eat it." Honda ventured, lifting his out of the water and clinking it against the side of the tray. It didn't seem to have any effect. Honda tried hitting it against the side of the table with the same result.

Jonouchi sighed and pushed the tray away, watching Honda beat his matzo against the side of the table as Yugi listlessly began eating his carrots. Something was up with his friends. Honda had been edgy all day and Yugi had looked like the new model for depression. Jonouchi debated whether he wanted to ask what was going on. On one side was the fact that he wanted to help his friends, on the other side was the fact that every time he had tried to ask he had been ignored by Honda or had come face to face with a scowling Yami. He decided to keep his mouth shut, at least till the hostilities calmed down. If he kept pressing, he might find himself nursing a bloody nose in the shadow realm.

He pulled a letter out of his book bag and opened it, as Honda finally gave up on his matzo after it ricocheted off the table, smacking him in the face. The letter had been waiting for him next to his breakfast plate. It was from Kaiba Corp.'s health center. As soon as he had gotten home from San Francisco he had headed over there for a quick check. He seriously doubted whether Mako had any unhappy germs to share. The fish boy wasn't bright, but he also didn't sleep around. Duke on the other hand….well it was best to be safe. He didn't want to pass on something along to Kaiba. He unfolded the report and started reading.

Yugi poked the last of his carrots around the tray, trying to tell himself that he wasn't worried that Yuai hadn't been in class. She hadn't been in any class actually and oddly none of the teachers had called her name in roll today. Mr. Ito had paused a moment when he came to her name then skipped over it without calling it out. Yugi shook his head slightly, he was not worried. No he wasn't. He was hurt, maybe a little angry. His friend had lied, he had the right to feel hurt about it.

You don't know what happened Yugi. What you saw might not be what you think. Yami sat on the bench next to him looking concerned.

You don't kiss people like that by accident and don't say he was an old friend, old friends don't kiss like that. Yugi frowned down at his tray.

Yami nodded and stayed quiet.

You don't kiss relatives like that either. Yugi explained inspecting a brown spot on his carrot.

Yami nodded again.

She was the one who said she wasn't allowed to date or kiss or anything. Yugi speared the carrot and ate it.

Yes, she was. Yami leaned back against the table looking at his hikari mutilate his last carrot. And you are the one who told her she was just a friend.

So. Yugi mashed his carrot with his fork and started picking it apart.

If you are just a friend, why do you care who she's kissing? Yami tipped his head questioningly.

Yugi didn't answer, he kept picking at his carrot, not even looking at his soul partner.

Yami nodded. Yes. I thought so. Now, who told the bigger lie?

~*~*~*

Jonouchi and Kaiba

~*~*~*

Jonouchi raced up the front steps and flung himself happily into the main foyer of the mansion. He shot down the hall and after a quick survey of the living area, jogged up the steps toward the master bedroom. The door was open and he could hear the faint tap of computer keys. He grinned and peered in the door.

Kaiba was sitting in bed, his computer on a lap tray and a pile of folders spread out around him. He looked, in Jonouchi's opinion, edible. His pale skin had lost the sickly grayish hue, his hair gleamed in the afternoon light. Admittedly he'd lost some weight and muscle during his illness, but his body had regained it's arrogant grace, it's confident elegance. It also didn't hurt that that delectable body was not dressed in nothing but a pair of midnight blue, silk boxers.

"Aren't you home a bit early?" Kaiba didn't even look up, engrossed in his work.

"Skipped." Jonouchi walked over stripping off his school jacket and tossing it on the floor.

Kaiba nodded absently, still typing, "Shouldn't do that."

"It's worth it." Jonouchi kicked off his shoes.

"Say that when you don't graduate." Kaiba scooped up a file, consulted the contents a second then went back to typing.

Jonouchi shrugged out of his tee shirt and tossed that on the floor. "Still worth it."

"And when you find yourself with Anzu as a manager at Burger World?" Kaiba consulted the file again and frowned at it.

Jonouchi wiggled out of his pants and let them fall, "I'll be a happy man."

Kaiba shook his head, erasing something on the computer and retyping. "Can I quote you later?"

Jonouchi pulled off his socks, tossing them over his shoulder, grinning. "Sure."

Kaiba closed the file and picked up another, "I suppose I could hire a tutor."

"If it makes you happy." Jonouchi carefully scooped up the scattered files and dropped them on the bedside table.

"Thanks." Kaiba murmured as he flipped a few pages, absorbed in the file, "I'll be done in a minute."

Jonouchi gleefully pounced, he'd had a lot of practice and he put it to good use. Kaiba found himself flattened onto the bed, the file scattering onto the floor next to the bed, facing laughing brown eyes. "Yer done now."

~*~*~*

Yuai

~*~*~*

The two social workers sat in the front seat of the sedan, chatting about an ice sculpture exhibit that was being put on down by the bay. Yuai admitted that they were both very nice, as far a social workers go, but ice sculpture wasn't a big interest of hers, even on a good day. And this wasn't a good day. The school hadn't been all that bad, apparently they'd already found out her secret and had been waiting for her to show up. Being escorted quietly off campus by two police and a social worker, like a delinquent who'd pulled one too many pranks, had been humiliating. The worst had been the hospital, where they had done a "through" examination, with pictures, and a falsely sympathetic doctor. Then, they'd bundled her up, like a load of soiled laundry and dumped her into the back seat of the car to be taken to a temporary foster home.

Her parents had been arrested Saturday, according to the overheard conversation, and were being held for a variety of charges, including something to do with illegal drugs and a gun that her father had forgotten to fill out the correct forms to get. When they had started talking about the charges for what had been done to her, they had dropped their voices and moved out of hearing range.

The social workers, meanwhile, seemed to be working on the deluded belief that she was going to miss her parents. They kept reassuring her that they were okay. When they found out she had heard they were in jail, they hastened to tell her that the charges were minor and they'd be released soon. They would see her later. She'd be able to visit with them and as soon as her parents had taken some classes she would be able to go home.

She wondered what part of her life they hadn't understood. Did they really think she wanted to see them? That the knowledge that her parents would be free, with a gun no less, would make her happy? That all that they'd put her through earned them nothing more than a few minor charges and taking a few classes, would be a relief? Yuai cringed in the back seat, already able to guess what her homecoming would be like.

After driving to the far edge of Domino City, outside of any chance she'd have of seeing her friends, not that she had any anymore, the sedan pulled up in front of a carefully manicured residential house, with cheery flowers set in pots on the front step. A large woman with a huge smile stepped out as the social workers bustled her out of the car. A couple of sullen looking teens lurked in the door behind her, glaring out at their new foster sister.

"Come in, come in, my dear." She waved the kids away, motioning for Yuai and her little entourage to enter the house. "Let's go have some lunch while we take care of all the paperwork."

Yuai reluctantly walked in.

~*~*~*

I want to say that most social workers have a LOT more compassion, and sense then Yuai's. They have a lousy job, get little appreciation and are often more appalled than anyone at the mysterious workings of the court system. Feel for these people folks. They work all day to help kids like Yuai, who really need help, and get kicked in the teeth by everyone for doing it. Can you blame them if they get a little testy at times?

I'm still taking votes for the one shot, here's the choices again:

1) Why is Bakura doing Ryou's homework in chapter one?

2) Kaiba gets a new secretary who has…shall we say…attitude to spare?

3) What if Kaiba was the victim…I mean stud for sale…I mean guest on the Bachelor?

4) The Yu-Gi-Oh cast gets put into various other shows, like Xena Warrior Princess, Buffy, Vampire Slayer or Survivor.