Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Emergence ❯ Things Change ( Chapter 4 )

Notes: Notes to my reviewers will be moving to after the story so they won't get all mixed into author notes.

Honda's views of dating are influenced by some of my friends from the east. It isn't all that uncommon, apparently, to choose you're intended during high school and marry right after graduation. It is very, very important to have a son asap. I might be wrong in this, but I'm basing it on what a friend in Korea once told me.

Ribbon is from the manga, Duel 7: The Face of Truth. Her real name is Miho Nosaka, nick name Ribbon, and she is the student librarian at Domino High School. She is not a OC.

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Emergence

Chapter 4: Things Change

~*~*~*

Yami & Yugi

~*~*~*

Yami woke up, his mind still hearing the soft whispers of the shadows calling to him, calling him back. Even in his dreams, they called to him, even with Yugi so close, their voices hissed into his mind. He shivered and cuddled closer to his light, what would he become if he gave in? Would he become the monster he feared, or where the whispers telling the truth? That finally he would gain his freedom, his life, all in exchange for walking into the shadows, becoming one with them. He buried his face in Yugi's hair, who made a soft kittenish sound in his sleep and rolled over, wrapping his arms around Yami and snuggling.

He would be lying to say that he didn't find the shadows offers tempting. A part of him welcomed them. No longer would he be some pathetic spirit, reduced to tagging along at his light's heels like a stray dog that had finally found a kind voice. No more borrowing a body to even play a simple game. He could be free. Free to walk in the world, stand next to his hikari, to have people actually look him in the face and see only him, not Yugi. Free to become the person he once was. Really, what did the title King of Games mean in this empty era? He knew about this world and how it ran. He hadn't been idle since he had awoken. He could easily match, if not beat Kaiba, in the world's arena. It would not take that much time or effort to rebuild a kingdom to replace the one he had lost.

Mostly though, he would have Yugi. He would be able to see his light outside of the half life of the puzzle. He would be able to see him, touch him, do small things for him, that others took for granted. Like holding his hand…

Still, the shadows could be lying to him. They were full of deceit. To do as they promised, they would have him at their mercy, helpless. The gods only knew what they would do to him then. They could re-make him into a monster, a thing, a puppet. They could return him to the world, only to have him destroy it. Destroy Yugi. There was no way he was going to risk that. Without Yugi, he would be dead, not physically, but inside, his heart, his soul. Yugi was his light, his salvation, the only thing at times to keep him from going completely, shriekingly insane.

Yami gently kissed his light's forehead, looking at his light's sleeping face. But what to do? Be selfish, hold on to you? Let you go? Keep pushing you at Yuai? If only. If only I… Yami paused, sitting up. These weren't new thoughts, but this time... The image of his light poking around a convenience store looking for horoscopes to help Ryou. The embarrassed, blushing explanation of how they were trying to trick the spirit of the Millennium Ring. If only we… You and your fellow hikaris can group together to solve problems. Why not us? Why can't we…Bakura, as erratic as he is, knows this world's technology; Marik has access to the Ishtar's library, probably the most comprehensive magical library since Carthage; and I know the shadow realm better than either of them. Surely, between the three of us…

"Oh sweet Ra, that might actually work!" Yami bounced out of bed, forgetting in his excitement that his light had been wrapped snuggly around his waist.

Yugi woke up as he face planted in the soft white rug next to Yami's bed. "Hey! Oof! Oooow!"

Yami snapped around, looking wide eyed and excited, "Oh! Aibou! I am sorry." He knelt down and scooped up his light, who was rubbing his head, and deposited him back on the bed.

"Yami! Couldn't you warn me?" Yugi watched his dark scamper across the room excitedly and disappear for a second, then reappear with paper and ink. "Uuuhh? Yami?"

"This could really work.. All we need…just have…" Yami sat down at the small table and carelessly brushed the clutter of jeweled pins and jars off to the side. "Have to remember…" He started writing.

Yugi, still rubbing his head, slid out of bed and walked over to peer over Yami's shoulder. "You are really excited."

Yami blinked absently at him then broke into a huge, happy grin. "I think I found a way to see if the other yamis and I could finally have our own bodies."

"What!" Yugi leaned farther over Yami's shoulder to peer at the scribbled hieroglyphics, "How?"

"Division of labor, Marik can study ancient texts, Bakura can study the internet, and I can search the shadow realm. If we work as a team, we should be able to find the information we need." Yami leaned back over and started writing again.

Yugi frowned, "Yami, love, as much as I would love for you to have a body. Are you sure it's wise for you to go back to the shadow realm again so soon? You really…"

"I'll be fine." Yami looked up into Yugi's worried face. "I won't go back to the area where I was before. In a way, I'll be going farther into the realm, but in a much more.. stable area."

Yugi looked into Yami's shadowy eyes and hesitated. His dark was so excited, so pleased with himself, but… "You'll be careful, right?"

Yami laughed and got to his feet, he scooped is hikari back up, nearly dancing back to the bed, "Don't worry, little light. I'll be fine, and once I have a body, I shall be more than fine." He playfully tossed Yugi back onto the bed and pounced on him. "Do you think you could deal with me living in your world, love?"

Yugi looked up and saw the hope in his yami's dark eyes. An answering flutter of hope landed in his heart and he couldn't help but wrap his arms around his dark and smile back, trying to push a small worm of worry out of his mind. He pulled his dark down, luxuriating in the feel of his weight against him. Nothing to worry about…

Yami laughed against his throat, lips pressed against his pulse. "Aibou, can you handle me?"

Yugi giggled back, sliding his hands across Yami's shoulders, "Not yet but give me a minute…"

Yami snickered and nipped his chin, "Such a thing to say…" Yami nibbled down to his ear as his fingers danced down Yugi's sides.

Yugi nibbled back, shifting to catch is yami's lips and sighing softly. "You know Yami. I always wanted to try something…"

Yami lifted his head to smile into Yugi's eyes. "And what's that?"

"Oh, just this." Yugi shifted his weight again and flipped them both, with him now perched on his yami's chest. "You know for some reason. I always end up flat on my back while you have all the fun up here."

Yami stretched out under his hikari's slight weight, smiling as he crossed his arms under his head. "Well, now that you're there what are you going to do to me?"

Yugi looked innocently off to the side, as if thinking hard, while he placed his hands almost absently on Yami's chest, fingers tracing in small circles. "Well, let me think…" He blinked and tipped his head thoughtfully, fingers lightly dancing across to velvet nipples and twirling in around softly. "There are so many things…should I first? Hmmm…" He wiggled slightly back till his bottom rubbed his yami's manhood, still looking thoughtful.

Yami laughed to himself, he really did have an adorable hikari, but he wasn't in the mood to play too much. If Yugi wanted to be on top, that was fine, but it had it's limits. He lifted his hands and wrapped them around Yugi's waist, letting his fingers gently stroke along his lover's sides teasingly. "Do you need a few ideas aibou?"

Yugi shook his head, leaning over and nipping his dark's lips lightly. "Nope. I think I have my plan." Yugi licked his dark's lips before pressing closer, his tongue slipping past yielding lips to brush against warm hard teeth before slipping in to duel with his dark's tongue. He loved the taste of his dark, rich, smooth, sweet and bitter, like fine dark chocolate. He gasped as his yami shifted him, pulling his hips back so they lay hip to hip, their already stiffening erections pressed close.

Yugi nipped gently, "Hey, you. No improvising."

Yami kissed his chin with a unrepentant chuckle, "So sorry aibou. Won't happen again." He slid his hands down, curving around his lover's bottom, pulling them even closer.

Yugi wiggled, nipping a small warning on the tendons of his throat before lowering his head to nuzzle a kiss against the soft skin beneath his yami's ear. Yami purred, stretching under him, muscles flexing, becoming taunt, then relaxing, hands sliding up his back, drawing random patterns. Yugi shifted downward again, fluttering soft kisses down his dark's neck, licking, tasting golden skin as he made his way toward where his fingers still rubbed. He took one velvet nipple in his mouth and Yami hissed softly, arching beneath him.

Yami twisted again as his light bit down on the nipple he had caught, pleasure flashing across his nerves in bright sparks. His hands curved, nails skating across the smooth silken skin of his light's back till they again reached the curve of pelvic bone. He grasped and arched, deliberately, adding friction against excited flesh. Yugi gasped, lifting his head to look at him with large, lust drowned eyes, before lowering his head to trace his way downward with licks and kisses to explore the muscles of his abdomen.

Yugi slid his hands down across his darks ribs, finger tips idling along the curve of each rib, delighting in the artistry of the joining of bone muscle and skin that made up his other. His mouth brushed against supple skin, muscles shivered under his lips. He shifted again, feeling his yami's hands slid up his back to wind into his hair as he brought his mouth down to explore the crease of his navel.

Yami couldn't stop the cry that rippled from his lips, feeling muscles leap in response to his hikari's touch. He wound his fingers tighter into bright hair as he bent his knees, sliding his feet up then down the curves of his light's slender legs. Yugi moaned his approval against his belly, twirling his tongue around before tracing his way downward. Yami cried out more sharply as Yugi's soft warm mouth closed over the tip of his erection.

Yugi let his tongue dance lightly across the tip of his dark's length, tasting the pearl of pre-cum and swirling in around his mouth. His hands slipped downward, cupping his darks buttocks as Yami's hips bucked up off the bed, pressing up as his mouth slid down, swallowing the velvet hard length. He hummed his pleasure as Yami's body shivered against him, then tightening his mouth into a ring and sucking hard, quickly raised his head, drawing his mouth rapidly up.

Yami thrashed his head against the covers, biting back another cry that wanted to desperately force it's way past his lips. Yugi's mouth descended again, his light's hands again pressing him up into his hot moist mouth. The cry escaped, his body turning traitor as muscles refused to listen to him anymore, instead, responding to the pleasure of his hikari's demands. Yugi lifted his head, the tight suction causing his body to jerk, his fingers to clench in silken hair. "Aibou!"

"Hush, you've been a naughty yami and your being punished." Yugi lowered his head again. One hand slid around to trace patterns on the inside of his dark's thigh before flicking up to tease his yami's silky balls, then pressing hard against the delicate skin behind them. He lifted himself quickly half way then lowered just as quickly, fingers pressing and releasing in time with his movements. The muscles under his other hand shuddered and jumped.

"Yugi!" Yami felt his mind shred away, his body sharply jumping as pleasure exploded across his nerves, arching his back, muscles snapping as he came into his light's hot mouth.

Yugi swallowed his dark's essence, then lapped the slowly softening length, feeling the body he was still holding shudder through the aftermath of orgasm into relaxation. When fingers tightened in his hair he looked up into his dark's eyes.

"If that's my punishment, I'm not liable to behave anytime soon." Yami's voice was still raw and husky as he pulled his light up for a kiss, enjoying the taste of himself in that sweet mouth. His hands moved down to pull his light closer, then one went further down to cup the hardness between his legs as the other skated back up his hikari's back, down his arm and catching his wrist.

Yugi moaned, hips shifting, pressing eagerly against his dark's hand, then gasped as he felt his hand lifted, his fingers being drawn into his yami's mouth. "Yami?"

Yami grinned around his fingers, tongue playing with his digits. He then let them go, kissing each fingertip, "You did want to be on top."

Yugi kissed him, letting his hand drop down till his fingers pressed against the tight ring of muscle of his dark's entrance. He rubbed his finger against the muscles, coaxing them to relax, to allow him entrance. It didn't take long, his dark's body was still lax from his release. He slid his finger in, then the next quickly.

Yami spread is legs, shifting his light's body to lie between his thighs as he watched Yugi's face. He loved watching his hikari at these times, every emotion the smaller one felt flickered unrestrained in his eyes: pleasure, surprise, delight, anticipation. A third finger joined the other two, sliding in and out of his body, preparing him. Yugi's fingers slid back in, searching, seeking his pleasure spot. He jerked his hips down, moving away from those seeking fingers. "No love, I want to watch you."

"Yami?"

Yami pulled him down for a kiss, lifting himself against his light's hand again. "I'm fine love, I want to see you find your pleasure." He spread his legs farther, lifting his knees as Yugi moved to enter him, feeling his light's hardness press against him.

Yugi hesitated, looking at his dark's face. Hungry, dark, shadowed eyes were half lidded, watching him. Sensuous lips were curved in a satisfied smile. He leaned forward, covering that smile with his own lips as he thrust quickly into the tight heat of his yami. Yami cooed against his lips. Fingers tugged his hair, pulling his head back forcing him to meet the shadowed gaze. Eyes locked to his other's, he pulled back and thrust in again. The shadows smiled. He moaned pulling his eyes away, his hips setting a rhythm, driving into tight heat, just to withdraw and return, ever quickening. Lips touched his throat, hands gentle and rough stroked his body, the body beneath him lifted into his thrusts. Pleasure arched his back, slamming him harder against his dark. Teeth suddenly bit down hard. His body spasmed, pain and pleasure exploding in his mind as he fell over the brink, his body shuddering in release.

The shadows murmured their own pleasure as he slumped bonelessly against his darkness, feeling warm hands smooth over his skin, drawing him down into the night soft smell of tumbled sheets and warmth.

~*~*~*

Honda

~*~*~*

Honda looked at the picture of Serenity that he had on the inside door of his locker and carefully peeled it off. He held it for a second, studying her delicate face, her beautiful smile, then tucked it faced down under a pile of books and closed the door. It was time to move on.

It wasn't like he hated Serenity. Part of him loved her, but he would be graduating in a couple of years. Then there would be college. Then work. He didn't have time to play games. He didn't have time to wait for Serenity to make up her mind whether she wanted to play musical beds, or wanted to be serious. If he didn't come up with a suitable girlfriend, who would later become a suitable wife, there was more than a slight chance his mother and grandparents would find one for him.

He shuddered, thinking of the last "nice girl" his mother had introduced him to. She had sat in their living room simpering idiotically about the kimono her father had bought for her. Every stitch had been described, every flower, every inch of the obi, every damn detail, and delivered in a voice that could have cracked the frame of his bike. If that was the sound of his future, he was going to take a detour.

No more waiting around like a door mat to welcome Serenity home. If she wanted to be a part of his life, she was going to have to change, because if he wasn't looking forward to being screeched into deafness, he wasn't looking forward to becoming like Jonouchi's dad, either. Drinking himself numb to forget that his love was out screwing another man.

He walked around the corner toward his class and nearly collided with a herd of girls, who looked at him with wide startled eyes, then giggled and darted off into the untamed wilds of the school. It had happened a lot in the last few weeks, but this time there was a straggler.

"Hi, Honda." Ribbon smiled shyly at him before becoming very interested in the floor. She hadn't changed since that last time he'd seen her, before the whole Duelist Kingdom disaster. Her face was just as sweet, her light, platinum blond hair swept up into a pony tail with a soft, blue, silk ribbon tying it back.

"Hi, Ribbon." Kami must have heard me and sent her. Now just don't blow it. "How have you been? I haven't seen you for awhile."

"I've been fine." She looked up at him. "I had to stay home with my mother. She's been…well, rather ill."

"Oh, I hope she's better." Honda gazed almost hypnotized by the most incredible blue eyes he had ever seen. Why hadn't he noticed that Ribbon had such lovely eyes before?

"Oh yes, thank you." Ribbon bobbed her head, "She's much better." She looked down at the ground again. "I just wanted to tell you…"

"Yes?" Honda stepped closer, hoping she'd look back up.

"When I turned you down before…I really would have like to say yes, but I…well, with mother sick and all, it wasn't a good time." She looked back up at him.

Honda nodded, stupidly, while all around him clouds broke up, angels descended to sing arias, firework went off, the sun shone twice it's normal brilliance, stars danced, and tiny cupids zipped around his head shooting miniature arrows at gleaming hearts. "I don't suppose now would be a better time to ask?"

Ribbon blushed, but nodded her head. "Yes, now would be a much better time."

~*~*~*

Lunch

~*~*~*

Jonouchi sat his boxed lunch down on the table, looking over to where Honda was sitting next to Ribbon. He scowled as the brunette laughed at something the girl said and leaned closer to talk to her. He dropped his pack on the floor and turned to have a few words with his friend, only to be hauled back.

"Sit." Kaiba yanked hard, causing him to land on the seat next to him with a thud.

"He's dating my sister. He shouldn't…" Jonouchi glared at his friends back.

"Dating? Really?" Kaiba shook his head.

"What does that mean?" Jonouchi switched his glare to his lover.

Kaiba ignored him and opened his lunch. In a instant of masochism, he'd mentioned to his cook that he wanted more fish in his diet, and the man had taken him at his word. Kaiba stared queasily at the dried fish that stared back up at him out of dull smoked eyes and wondered what had ever possessed him to open his mouth. He glanced over at Jonouchi's lunch, wondering if he'd trade. The blond, however, looked furious.

"What the hell did you mean?" Jonouchi turned back around to stare daggers at Honda's back.

Kaiba debated, if he didn't calm Jonouchi down, there was no way he'd be able to trade him for his lunch. If he let him go after Honda, he could probably snag at least half of Jo's vegetable rolls and leave him with the dried fish. If he told Jo the truth, he'd be stuck with the fish, no sex and a long, long week of grumbling. So lying is beneath me, but then…a little misdirection couldn't hurt. "You're the one who kept complaining about what he and your sister do on dates." He nodded toward Ribbon. "Let him work out his hormones on her."

"That's not the point." Jonouchi snapped back, not bothering to turn his glare on Kaiba, "He…"

"Should work out his hormones on your sister?" Kaiba snuck his dried fish into Jonouchi's stack of bento boxes and snagged the top box in the stack.

"Hey!" Jonouchi turned to glower at Kaiba. "Don't talk about my sister like that. She's too young to even think those thoughts."

"Honda isn't." Kaiba looked at his new won booty and smirked happily. Cucumber rolls. Very good.

"Honda isn't what?" Yugi sat down, sliding his lunch tray onto the table across from Jonouchi. Yuai slid in next to him, nodding hello to her boss.

"Nothing." Jonouchi grumped and gave up trying to incinerate Honda with is eyes. He opened his lunch and moaned. Not smoked fish. Gah. How disgusting. "Anybody want a smoked fish?"

"Nope. It's mystery meat and slimy pasta for me, thanks." Yugi shook his head.

Yuai shook her head, "I had one of those in my lunch yesterday. It's your turn today."

Jonouchi slumped, "Honda's over making nice, nice with Ribbon."

Yugi nodded, "Yeah, isn't that neat. I thought she didn't want…"

"It's not neat. He's supposed to be dating my sister." Jonouchi growled, tearing the smoked fish into shreds with his fingers.

"But doesn't Serenity slee… Yugi began, only to have Yuai's hand slapped over his mouth.

"Hush, don't tell him that." She whispered into his ear.

"But.."

"No, he doesn't want to know."

Listen to her aibou. Jonouchi doesn't want to hear that Honda has a very good reason for wanting to date another. Let it go. Yami settled next to him on the bench.

Okay, but someday, someone needs to tell him. Yugi shook his head and nodded at Yuai to let him go. She nodded back and removed her hand, replacing it with a quick kiss, before turning away to talk to Kaiba.

Let Honda. It is between them, not us. Yami glanced over to where Kaiba and Yuai were now trading pieces of their bento boxes across the table. If you want more of that butterfish, love, now seems to be the time to get it.

Yugi jerked around and flung himself into the lunch negotiations.

Jonouchi sighed and started nibbling on the fish. "Hey Yug. You going to the convention?"

"Convention?" Yugi looked up from his newly acquired slices of butterfish. He had traded his fruit cup and his Jell-O for them and three smoked salmon rolls, that he was contemplating trading for half of Yuai's thermos of lemonade.

"Yeah, the Duel Monsters convention in a couple weeks." Jonouchi tried hard not to notice how close Honda was sitting to Ribbon.

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot." Yugi shuffled his salmon and his milk over to Yuai, receiving half her lemonade and five rice crackers. "Sure, I'm going. How about you?"

"Nah, got stuff I got to do that weekend." Jonouchi tried not to see how Ribbon smiled up at Honda.

"Duel Monsters?" Yuai picked up the four pieces of butterfish she had traded to Kaiba, in exchange for Yugi's milk. "Isn't that a game?"

Kaiba lifted his head, surprised, "You're dating Motou and you don't know about Duel Monsters?" He looked over to where Yugi was suddenly fascinated by his rice cakes. "Afraid she'll beat you?"

"I was just trying to be nice. Remember Bakura? Marik? Crazed magician guy?" Yugi squirmed.

Kaiba looked thoughtful. What an opportunity, and it had been running around his house nagging at his brother to brush his teeth, all this time. Jonouchi, as much as he loved him, wasn't much of an opponent when it came to dueling. Yami and Yugi were his greatest challenge, but he'd never considered Yuai. Yuai, who could beat Yugi in other games… Yuai who had somehow not been introduced to Duel Monsters by the one person who should have taught her… He smiled wickedly to himself. He looked up at the girl, "I'll teach you after school," the wicked smile crept out as he imagined the pharaoh's reaction.

Yuai nodded enthusiastically as her eyes practically glowed with excitement. "Thanks Kaiba!"

If Kaiba had been able to see Yami's reaction, he wouldn't have been disappointed, but he would have been surprised at the pure anger in Yami's eyes. . NO! How dare he put her in danger. He knows it isn't safe!

Yugi jolted back into Yuai in surprise. Yami? Calm down! I know you said not to teach Yuai the game, but I'm sure she isn't going to suddenly suck our souls out and send us all to the shadow realm.

Yami had stood up and was shaking in rage, his eyes flashing a hot, fiery, red. That's not the point.

"Yugi, is something wrong?" Yuai was looking at him worriedly.

Kaiba sat across the table looking smug. Yugi wondered how smug he'd look if he could see Yami right now. The spirit looked terrifying. Shadows were starting to creep out from under the table, gathering around his yami. He could feel the crackle of shadow magic across the back of his neck. The sennen eye glowed on his dark's forehead while his eyes became dark gleaming shadows.

Baka, pharaoh! Stop making a scene at lunch! You're spoiling my tenshi's appetite. Bakura snapped from a nearby table, where Ryou was now staring wide eyed at them. His normally pale skin was now a few shades paler and he was shivering as he sensed the power being gathered so near him. The spirit of the Millennium Ring stood defensively between the enraged pharaoh and his own terrified light.

The idiot priest thinks it's funny to teach Yuai Duel Monsters! Yami snarled back as Yugi suddenly dove under the table, pulling Yuai after him.

Then kill him after lunch! You'll just make a mess in here. Bakura growled. You've already scared the shit out of your hikari. Do you need to traumatize mine too?

Yami looked around, noticing that Jonouchi had joined Yugi and Yuai under the table and all three were now frantically crawling under the row of tables for the exit. The only one who seemed unaffected was Kaiba, who sat wearing a cold dragon smile. If anything happens priest, I'll feed you to your own dragons.

~*~*~*

After Lunch

~*~*~*

"You are definitely getting time out, Yami." Yugi slammed the door of his locker, leaving the Millennium Puzzle locked in it's dark insides.

"Man, what got into him?" Jonouchi was leaning against the lockers on the other side of the hall.

"I really don't know. He just lost it when Kaiba told Yuai he'd teach her Duel Monsters." Yugi stepped away from the locker, looking at it sternly.

"Why didn't you teach her yourself then?" Jonouchi scooped up his books and fell in next to Yugi, heading toward class.

"Yami said not to, that after the whole nightmare of what Bakura did during Duelist Kingdom, he didn't want her to learn the game." Yugi bit his lip, "I've never seen him loose control like that."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Kaiba can be the most fucking, irritating bastard when he wants to be." Jonouchi grinned, "He makes a living out of making people loose it."

Yugi shook his head. "Yami was gone, into the shadow realm, for nearly a week. I think something happened to him. He hasn't been himself. It's like his feelings are scattered all over. I don't know what he'll be like next."

Jonouchi shrugged, "Don't worry about it. If it keeps up, ask Isis, she'll know. He's probably just venting a little steam."

Yugi seriously doubted that if Jonouchi could have seen Yami at lunch, that he'd stick with his venting steam explanation. He opened the door to their class and walked in. Half the class was already there, sitting on their desks, chatting.

Yuai was talking to Haski, showing him her notes and pointing to something on the paper. Haski was leaning close to her, his face almost against her hair, as he looked down at the paper. Yuai looked up, nearly bumped her nose into Haski's chin and startled back, stepping way from him with a look of something close to fright on her face.

Jonouchi stepped forward, "Hey, back off Haski, don't get so close. She doesn't like being crowded."

"Ooops, sorry." He looked apologetically at Yuai, noticing her nervousness. "I didn't realize I was so close till you looked up. I am really very sorry."

"Yeah, yeah." Jonouchi sauntered past, pulling Yuai in his wake, away from Haski with Yugi bringing up the rear, watching the other boy blush.

"I really am sorry Yugi. Can you tell her that for me?" Haski caught his arm as he passed, "You know how softly she speaks, I was just trying to figure out what Mr. Ito lectured about yesterday, and I guess I got too close."

Yugi smiled, "Don't worry about it, Haski. She just wasn't expecting you to be there like that. If you want you can look over my notes."

Haski nodded, relieved, "That really would help. I've been having problems keeping all the prime ministers straight. I never can remember who did what under which emperor."

Yugi pulled out his notes, laughing, "I keep getting them mixed up with the shoguns. On the last test, I actually wrote down that our present prime minister was the last Takugawa shogun."

.

.

Jonouchi pulled Yuai down the aisle to his seat and turned around. "You okay now?"

Yuai nodded, "He just startled me. And after having to crawl out of the cafeteria under the tables for some godforsaken reason, I deserve the right to be a bit jumpy today."

Jonouchi rubbed the back of his head, trying to figure out how to explain all this. He had no clue how to explain the electric tingle that had marched up his spine at lunch; or that when Yugi had dove under the table, yanking her with him, that he knew that something painful, and nasty and filled with shadows was about to happen; or that sometimes a simple card game could be the most dangerous thing in the world. Failing all that he tried something else. "Are you going to go to the convention?"

"Excuse me? Convention?" Yuai wondered if Jonouchi had smacked his head on one of the tables. Hard.

"Sure, Yugi is going to that Duel Monsters convention. If you want to learn the game, you could probably pick up some cool cards there, as well as attend some workshops on game techniques." Jonouchi cocked his head to the side. "You'd be able to spend an entire weekend with Yugi, playing games, learning Duel Monsters, away from Mokuba…."

Yuai laughed, "He's not that bad. He's just got too much intelligence and energy and not enough sense."

"Still, are you going to go?" Jonouchi watched as Yugi handed his notes over to Haski and walked over to them.

"Sure. Sounds fun." Yuai turned and hugged Yugi as he came up to them. "Jo thinks I should go to that convention you two were talking about."

Yugi hugged her back. "Great! I'll even help you pick out some cards." If Yami calms down…

~*~*~*

The young man tossed himself down onto the sofa and flicked a strand of dark hair out of his eyes as he looked around the room. All their gear was neatly packed, stacked and organized, ready to go into storage as soon as the workmen arrived, which he was certain had been planned down to the last second. It was unnatural. Chaos should have reigned supreme. Gear should have been tossed everywhere, their clothes (which he knew for a fact were now clean, pressed and neatly stored to save them from undo damage or wrinkling) should have been draped across every surface and be in tangles underfoot, and instead of his sitting here, relaxing with a cold drink at his elbow, he, Drover, should be running hectically around trying to sort through the detritus of their rather odd life.

"This is fuckin' creepy." He heard his coworker, Tink, mutter, as the man gazed at the orderliness before them.

"Don't knock it dude." Another coworker dropped into a seat, running her hands through her short purple hair. Pease fluttered a ringed hand at the stacks of boxes "I like this a hella lot better then running around bouncing off the walls."

The reason for all the unnaturalness glided by, absently nodding as she walked over to the door and opened it, surprising the moving crew foreman who stood on the other side with his hand raised to knock. "Excellent." She handed him a sheaf of forms and tapped on the top paper. "Here are the instructions for storage. Please follow them."

The man blinked and nodded, "Sure thing, ma'am."

The workmen entered and boxes started being toted off, under the careful eye of the coordinating genius who had wrenched this order out of the swirls of madness that surrounded them.

"Babe. You really missed your calling." Drover called over, watching Jame consult a small palm-pilot.

"Excuse me?" Jame looked distractedly over at him. He could see the wheels in her mind turning, organizing something or other.

"In the land of the anal expulsives, babe, you're the queen anal retentive." Drover ducked as Pease whacked him with the back of her hand.

"Ignore him. He stayed up late watching the Learning Channel last night." Pease glowered at him, then sent Jame a smile.

"Yeah. But he's still right." Tink muttered then jumped as Pease swung on him.

Jame tucked her palm-pilot back into her pocket and walked over frowning. "I am not anal retentive."

"Babe. We love ya, we're your friends, we'd be lost without ya." Drover stood, taking a few strategic steps out of Pease's range. "But you're a compulsive organizer."

"Am not!" You should just see my e-mail. It's a disaster…" Jame flung herself down in Drover's abandoned seat, sulking.

The foreman walked back in, "That's it ma'am. We've got everything. We just need…"

Jame tossed a set of keys to him. "The one with the green is for the main gate, the orange is for the storage building and the yellow and blue are for the locks on the rooms. Have them back to me by six this evening, please."

The foreman nodded smiling at Drover, "Nice to see your business manager has things in hand." He nodded to Jame, "If you ever want a change of pace, our company could really use someone like you."

"What!" Jame bounced to her feet.

"Hey! A good executive assistant is hard to find." The man lifted his hands defensively and retreated out the door as Jame snarled in outrage. "It's not like I'm that Kaiba jerk. We're nice and we pay well."

"I am not an executive assistant!" Jame paced forward, murder in her eyes.

The foreman fled, "Sorry, sorry. Look gotta go. See ya."

Tink started laughing. Jame swung on him, glaring. "I am not an executive anything."

Pease struggled to keep a straight face, but a snicker worked it's way out, "That was priceless. I bet you could work for that Kaiba creep."

"I could not!" Jame turned on her with the look of a enraged panther going for it's prey.

"Babe, I bet you couldn't get him to fire you if you tried." Drover shook his head laughing at her, then jumped out of the way as Jame turned her attention to him.

"I bet I could…"

~*~*~*

Authoress snickers evilly and scampers off to do more wicked things to innocent characters…..

Review please…This week's topic is…What is your favorite fan fictions? What makes you like a fan fic.? What makes you hate one?

Dragonmaster TC: Hey there! You're back. Nice hearing from you again. Here's the chapter you are waiting for ^-^

Daebird: Good observation about OCs! I hadn't thought about how they rush the plot….Yami, as you just noticed has quite a lot to contend with and it's just going to get more interesting.

DemonandGoddess: Thanks I'm feeling better. Nothing like a concussion to make you take it easy. You made a interesting point about OCs. The perfect one's drive me insane too.

Sakiyama: Thanks! *blush* I'm still working on Honda. I just got a idea of something I want to add to the pict, so it'll take a bit more time.

Bobble: I remember you! Howdy! Well it seems that everyone hates the perfect OCs. I always get confused with the ones that appear out of nowhere saying they know the character from the past. I once read one where the fist thing the out-of-the-past OC did was yell at Yami about being a loser. I couldn't get out of that fic fast enough!

Thanks for reading everyone!