Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Follow the Dragon ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

“Follow the Dragon”

Written and edited by: JoeysGal and F_D_C2003

Rating: NC17

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Hentai/Romance/Shounen

Type: Continuation

Credits to: Various websites and books on China, Hong Kong and Japan.

 

DISCLAIMER: Anything you read about in this fic, I DO NOT OWN! I merely use real-life things to make the fic more realistic and believable. I also make no money off of writing this… I'm sure if I did then I would be doing a lot more interesting things than this right now…although I don't know what… (Note to self: must get a life).

 

JoeysGal: Hello again! Yes, I am alive! Fear not! I am somewhat getting my life under control, although it has been hectic. So I apologise for the delay, but it keeps you in suspense, ne? *crickets chirp* -_-;; Anyway, I'd like to say thanks for all your reviews - perhaps you could say what you like and dislike about the story so I can work on it? I'd very much like that ^_^ onto your responses now…

 

F_D_C2003: Yes, yamis in general can be very annoying, sadistic, and well, you so much turn your back and they try to mount you -.- However, we all know that men have two heads but only think with one - in this case that would be Marik. He's a hornbag, and in my twisted little imagination the Ishtars are the biggest hentai's in the YGO world *shrugs* it just seems to fit. XD

 

Dragonlady222: You will soon find out who pairs up with whom, but I am trying desperately for this fic not to be predictable or a cliché. If there's any one thing I can't stand its cliché's… after Mary-Sues… who should all just die and go to Mary-Sue Hell… but I digress. My point here is that you should so much expect the unexpected. Thanks for your reviews thus far ^.^ I look forward to more! *self-confessed review whore… although never used to be*

 

Lo: What do you mean by swinging story? Is that when you have scenes in the present and various flashback scenes too?

 

halowing4: THANK YOU for your comment on how Jounouchi's family life is “refreshing”. I was waiting for someone to pick up on that. I don't think I've ever read a fic where Jou has a stable relationship with his father so I thought I'd give it a go. Much easier than I thought it would be! I plan on adding more of Shizuka into this story in later chapters, too. Thanks for your comment ^^

 

Sugar_Shinimegami: Iiiyyaa! I wondered where you'd got to. It's not like you not to review! Lol. But thank you anyway, I live for the reviews! This fic thrives on them!! Speaking of which, it's just about feeding time…

 

 

**

 

Chapter Five

 

 

“Oh man, I hope our flight back to Domino won't be as bad as that one.” Anzu groaned, leaning on the table in front of her.

 

“You're telling me! I feel so… ugh.” Honda agreed, feeling queasy and fatigued. At the same time, though, his stomach was wildly protesting being empty.

 

Jou came back to the table with a plate piled high with food. It looked mountainous to the naked eye but the others knew undoubtedly that if anyone, Jou would be able to finish it.

 

“Man, you guys should really see what they've got up there! It seems like the whole theme of this place is England, or something. Even their food is English… sort of.” Jou said, gesturing to the mashed potato, sausages and peas on his plate.

 

“What else can you expect when Hong Kong was once under English occupation?” Anzu replied.

 

“Yeah, but it's not really what you'd expect in a place called the Imperial Hotel(1), huh?” Honda put in his two cents. “I bet Ryou's going to like staying here.”

 

In fact, Ryou was already feeling nostalgic. He and Yuugi had come down from their hotel room with Bakura and Yami in tow, and as soon as they entered the dining room, a flood of memories came rushing back to him. The pub was of an English theme, with classic dark oak frames supporting the roof, stag's heads mounted on the wall and a range of European wines, spirits, beers and ports were lined on shelves behind the bar. Paintings of people on horseback with hounds at their sides foxhunting were hung about the walls, as well as photos and paintings of famous Englishmen such as Winston Churchill, Sir Isaac Newton, William Shakespeare and even Captain James Cook(2).

 

“Bakura! Look at this place; doesn't it remind you of home?” Ryou exclaimed.

 

“It doesn't look particularly Egyptian to me.”

 

Ryou frowned. “Oh, I hope they have bangers and mash! I could really have some of that right about now. A cup of Earl Grey(3) would go down nicely too…”

 

Bakura rolled his eyes as his hikari lapsed off into his native dialect - English - which he didn't understand nearly as well as when Ryou spoke Japanese. Bakura had been to England on a few occasions so Ryou could visit his father, but hadn't particularly enjoyed it. Life there was wet, cold, bland and, well, rather boring. It wasn't the city itself, as such - the nightlife and shopping was fantastic - but the people. Everywhere you went you saw people wearing tartan, beige or grey - it was like a uniform. Top hats adorned every senior businessman's head and no upper-class woman would be caught without wearing high-heels, a skirt and stockings. Not to mention the population of teenage Goths, punks, emos and the like was relatively high.

 

As Ryou continued his rant about how at-home he felt in this place, Bakura figured all he needed now was to don a kilt and a set of bagpipes and he'd be away laughing. Sighing inwardly, the metallic-haired spirit made his way to the buffet. Marik soon joined his side, piling his plate up with food. Bakura looked at the food in distaste.

 

“Ugh, their steak is all cooked right the way through.” Bakura complained. “How's a man supposed to eat this stuff?”

 

“Get used to it,” Marik grunted. “Modern food isn't all bad, you know. Their beer doesn't have clumps of bread in it(4) like it did in our day, for a start.”

 

“So? It's not like we'll be able to drink anything alcoholic while we're here, anyway.” Bakura chided.

 

“Oh really?” Marik smirked.

 

Bakura frowned, knowing there was something Marik knew that he didn't. “What do you mean, `oh really'?”

 

“My hikari said that there's no legal drinking age in this country. We can go anywhere and get as pissed as we like!”

 

Bakura's mocha orbs glimmered mischievously. “You lie.”

 

“As soon as we reach mainland China, we're free to drink whenever, wherever, whatever! While we're in Hong Kong, though, only people 18 years and over can drink.”

 

“That counts Ryou out, then.” Bakura muttered. “He has only just turned 17.”

 

Marik shrugged. “Malik's 18th birthday is in about a month. But we're only going to be here for tomorrow and then we fly to Guilin the next day, remember?”

 

“That's still like… two days without a drink.” Bakura griped. “That's like going a month without sex!”

 

Marik headed back to the table with his food. “What are you, an alcoholic?”

 

“I prefer to use the term `alcohol connoisseur'.”

 

“Whatever. It won't be that bad, anyway. I've got it all planned out, you see.”

 

Bakura resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Oh yeah, and what sort of genius ideas did you have in mind this time? After conquering the world so successfully and all…”

 

Marik snorted gruffly at the other spirit. “Well, I haven't come up with that many, yet. But one that I know for sure will be that Malik and I are going to sneak out of our hotel room on the night we get to Shanghai after everyone's gone to bed and drink like fishes until we don't even know where we are anymore.”

 

“You know, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea, seeing as it came from you.” Bakura commented, receiving a menacing glare from the other dark spirit. “Getting drunk in the `Paris of the East'. Yes, that sounds like much fun.”

 

**

 

Jou leant back in his chair and elicited a loud and satisfying burp, much to the horror of his neighbouring friends. It was getting on to eleven o'clock and he was knackered, much like the rest of the group. There was no drug-free way to escape the onslaught of jetlag other than to sleep it off, essentially, which is what Jounouchi intended on doing very soon. He was, however, a little hesitant to go up to his hotel room.

 

Kaiba had not been down once since the two boys put their belongings down in their hotel room, without saying a word to each other. Jou wondered what he might still be doing up there, if he was up there at all. But he was just as entitled to come and go from that room as Kaiba was, so what was to be afraid of? He was tired and irritable, anyway. He would probably go out like a light, so in the instance of Kaiba wanting to wind him up, he doubted it would be for too long.

 

“I think I'm going to hit the hay, you guys.” Jou announced, standing up.

 

Honda and Anzu nodded and got to their own feet.

 

“I wonder what time Matsuri-sensei is going to wake us up.” Anzu mentioned sleepily.

 

“I hope it's not too early,” Honda commented as the three of them walked into the elevator.

 

“Me either; I'm going to sleep like a baby, tonight!” Jou exclaimed as they came to their floor.

The three teens walked out and said their goodnights, heading to their respected rooms. Jou's heartbeat suddenly increased as he stopped at his room, noticing light seeping out from underneath the door. He didn't know why he had, out of the blue, become so nervous, but tried to shake it off by taking a deep breath. He took his card-key from his pocket and opened the door. Kaiba was sitting up in bed reading a Japanese-Chinese phrasebook. Elegant reading glasses adorned the end of his nose, and little else. The golden glow of the bedside lamps made each of the fine hairs on Kaiba's arms and chest shine in the soft light. A pang of emotions mixed with adrenaline surged through Jou's veins like a freight train and he quickly looked away and started toward to his bed, feeling confused. Kaiba looked up.

 

“You don't look so well, mutt. Puppy got a fever?”

 

Jou's scalp crawled at the sarcasm in Kaiba's tone. “Thanks for the compliment Kaiba; it really shows you care.”

 

“Well, I have to look after my travelling buddy in most respects, don't I?”

 

“Shut up.” Jou really wasn't in the mood for this - again. He pulled off his shirt and jeans and climbed into bed, not really caring what Kaiba saw or not. “Goodnight.”

 

“I'll wake you if you start whining in your sleep.”

 

Jou deadpanned and shut off his bedside lamps. “Whatever.”

 

The blond rolled over and closed his eyes. He was annoyed at Kaiba, tired from jetlag, bloated from eating too much and… well… he wasn't quite sure what else. The feeling that had overcome him when he had walked into his hotel room before was still lingering, and no matter how hard he tried to shake it, it wouldn't seem to elude him.

 

**

 

Otogi Ryuuji was feeling perfectly uncomfortable. He wasn't entirely sure whether it was jetlag; excitement that he was now finally in China; the fact that he was more than a little nervous having to share a hotel room with two unfamiliar people, or a combination of all three. He should have, in a way, expected to feel like this, as he had always felt some sort of separation anxiety when leaving his business in the hands of his administrators; but now he was feeling the same but for different reason - he was away from his usual crowd of friends.

 

It wasn't that he didn't like Malik - or his counterpart - but they were pretty much strangers to Otogi. He didn't know the first thing about them - and wasn't sure if he wanted to. The only thing he knew, so far, was that he had to at least make acquaintance with them. Otherwise this vacation would be awkward each day they were here. Besides, he had to bear in mind that since they were “traveling buddies”, it was his duty to look out for Malik, in a way, and, as Matsuri-sensei had said, to get to know him better. He shuddered a little; making friends wasn't one of the ebony-haired boy's best qualities. There was, however, one thing Otogi had in mind that wouldn't stop bothering him until he knew the answer. He decided then and there - with all the nerve he had - to ask.

 

“Uh… there's something I want to ask you guys, just so I know. I hope you don't think I'm prying or anything, and it's really none of my business, but…”

 

“Well, then, just say it.” Marik encouraged. He was rarely offended by anything.

 

Otogi fidgeted, watching the two Ishtars readying themselves for bed. This was harder than he thought it was going to be - he didn't think Marik would be around this much. It was harder for him to talk to Malik with his yami around all the time. He had caught the two Egyptians engaging in small intimate displays a couple of times since they had been here tonight, figuring that they were an item. He wanted to be sure. God only knew how hard it was sharing a room with two other attractive people and Otogi was certain that since Malik was gay and he himself was bi, it was possible that something could happen between them. Otogi usually got what he wanted, after all, and right now - seeing him wearing nothing short of a pair of tight black Calvin Klein briefs - Malik was looking rather tantalizing.

 

“Are you two… um… together?”

 

Malik blinked. “We're not exclusive.”

 

“What would you kids call it these days?” Marik said, more to himself than anyone else. “`Friends with benefits'?”

 

Otogi nodded in understanding. “I see, now. I thought you were a little friendly with each other to be just… whatever it is I thought you were.” He blushed, not quite knowing what to say. It was plain that they were friends, but they were also bound by a bond that was out of Otogi's knowledge to explain. He knew it was similar to that of Yuugi and Yami, but somehow different. It all had to do with those Sennen Items and their power.

 

A knock abruptly sounded at the door. “Lights out, please! It's eleven o'clock. I'll be waking you at seven thirty for breakfast. Goodnight!” Matsuri-sensei's voice sounded through the door.

 

Malik settled down into bed and shut off the lamps. “Un, goodnight, Otogi-san.”

 

Otogi did the same. “See you in the morning, Malik-kun.”

 

With that said the senior students of Domino High fell into slumber, blissfully unaware of the escapades that lay in waiting on the following days of their trip.

 

**

 

(1) Imperial Hotel - This is a hotel in Hong Kong with an English-style restaurant.

 

(2) Captain James Cook - was an English explorer, navigator and cartographer. He founded the European discovery of the Hawaiian Islands, the eastern coastline of Australia and recorded the first circumnavigation of New Foundland and New Zealand - where I am from! ^_^

 

(3) Earl Grey - it's a type of English tea xD

 

(4) Clumps of bread in the beer - It was thought that the Egyptians made a crude beer by crumbling lightly baked, well-leavened bread into water. They then strained it out with a sieve into a vat and the water was allowed to ferment because of the yeast from the bread. It has been thought that the Egyptians flavored the beer with date juice or honey, because the straining method would not give much flavor. (credit to www.mnsu.edu)

 

JoeysGal: -_- I just realized how painfully short this chapter was… forgive me! T_T I will make it up to you next chapter, I swear!