Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ High School Love ❯ High school Love chapter two ( Chapter 2 )

HIGH SCHOOL LOVE

 

CHAPTER 2

 

 

 

 

Yugi sat morosely at the table, feeling as though a vice had been clamped around his heart and was being squeezed slowly, excruciatingly slowly, until he felt ready to burst from the pain. Tea watched him sadly. She knew the cause for her friend's misery; Yugi had knocked on her door first thing that morning and had sobbed out his tale while she held him and tried to comfort him as best she could.

 

She was going to KILL Yami Mutou as soon as she had a chance. Talking to the likes of Mai Valentine, when he KNEW Yugi had a crush on him, was the lowest form of human behaviour, and Tea longed very much to get her hands around that oh-so-sexy, cheating little throat of his. She was going to MUTILATE him for the pain he had caused Yugi. And as if that weren't bad enough, when the two had seen each other briefly in the common room this morning, Yami had been talking to Serenity Wheeler, Joey Wheeler's sister. She had been hanging off his arm, looking for all the world as if she was his girlfriend, and Yami had done nothing whatsoever to discourage her attentions. It was as if he had led Yugi on, only to set him up for a fall, and was now determined to break his heart even further. Small wonder Tea was furious. She was definitely going to speak to the principal after school. Yami Mutou was not going to know what hit him when the principal got a hold of him.

 

 

 

 

Yami came into the common room, feeling ready to kill the next girl he saw and dump her body in the nearest alley. It seemed that his performance yesterday had caught the winds of gossip, and now every girl wanted to get a piece of him, not wanting to see him slip through their fingers to a junior, and a gay one at that, no matter how cute that junior was. Yami, for his part, had had a hard time fighting them off, and had only just now managed to get away from the herd by telling them, one and all, that he wasn't for the taking. This had caused no end of disappointment, but he was too angry and upset with himself right now to care who else he hurt. Only one person in the whole school mattered to him right now. That person was sitting at the lunch table with Tea Gardner, and looking for all the world like he was about to cry. Small wonder. He'd done the unthinkable by letting himself be seen with the likes of Mai Valentine the day before. It wouldn't have mattered so much had there been no one around to see her trying to chat him up again, but when he'd seen Yugi running off towards the juniors' dorms, he'd realized that he had just committed a very grave blunder indeed. It was going to take a miracle to rectify this whole unhappy situation.

 

 

 

 

Tea looked up when she heard footsteps approaching the table, and glared daggers at Yami, a glance that sent further shame and guilt scorching through his being, and he wanted to hang his head in shame. “You're a fine one,” the look said, and Yami felt yet more shame scorch him from head to toe all over again at the intense hatred in her eyes. Yugi must have told her what had happened yesterday, and Yami knew that Tea would be guarding him like a lioness defending her cubs. She wasn't going to let him anywhere near her friend now.

 

As if to prove him right, she gently took Yugi by the arm and when he looked at her, puzzled, she shook her head and mouthed one word. Yugi's eyes widened, and he turned to see Yami standing there, a few feet away, a look of unhappy guilt on his face. The junior turned back to Tea and said something the elder teen couldn't quite catch. She shook her head vehemently. “There is no way I am letting you anywhere near him after what he did to you,” she said, now speaking loud enough so Yami could hear her, and he felt certain the pain clamped around his heart was going to break him in two if he heard anything more. “He's just going to play games with you again and then go back to his harem. I don't trust him, and neither should you.”

 

Yugi spoke some more, and Tea shook her head again. “He's not worth the time of day,” she said firmly, taking her shorter friend by the hand, holding onto it tightly as if she were afraid he would run off if she let him out of her sight. “Now come on. We're going to be late for class.” That was a blatant lie; the bell wasn't due to go off for another half hour, and Yami watched them go with an aching heart. He now knew that Tea was going to keep Yugi away from him by any and every means, but he wasn't going to let her get in the way. Yugi WAS going to be his, and he wasn't going to let Tea interfere.

 

If only he could just shake off the uneasy feeling that Tea was going to do a lot more than keep a close watch on her friend to make sure Yami wouldn't get within three feet of him. Her sudden fierce protectiveness worried him even more than the earlier sadness he had seen in Yugi's eyes. Something was out of kilter here, and Yami knew he was going to have a very fierce battle ahead of him if he was to have any chance of getting close to Yugi so he could apologize to him and try to make up for yesterday's unfortunate, and very regrettable incident with Mai.

 

As for the blonde, lavender-eyed school slut, he had made short work of HER. She wouldn't be bothering him again. Neither would any of her slutty friends. He had personally made sure of that. Still, taking care of his fangirls didn't rate as much of a success as it had done earlier in the day. Tea was the only obstacle left, and she was a factor Yami hadn't taken into account until he had seen the ferocity in her eyes. She was very solicitous towards Yugi, and Yami saw that as a bad sign. Her whole demeanor read, “The only way to keep you from Yugi is to take him myself.” She might as well have worn a sign around her neck that read YUGI'S GIRLFRIEND. STAY AWAY, YAMI.

 

A small, bitter smile crossed his face. More to the point, Yugi should have worn a sign around HIS neck. PROPERTY OF TEA GARDNER. He certainly hadn't protested much when Tea had led him away. Yami wished with all his heart that it was because he didn't want to argue with Tea in public, but the crimson-eyed senior couldn't shake off the image of his crush walking off hand in hand with Tea, never once looking back, never once realizing that he was leaving a broken and bitter-hearted senior behind.

 

 

 

 

Yugi heaved a long sigh as he walked into the seniors' corridor after school. He had managed to shake Tea off just before his last class, her fierce protectiveness getting to him at last, and now he was on the search for Yami again. He knew Tea would blow her stack if she found out he had gone looking for the senior who had seemed to throw his heart in the gutter the day before, but for some reason that he couldn't explain, he wanted to see Yami. He knew he ought not to, after what he had witnessed yesterday, when Yami had seemed to betray him so cruelly, but his emotions were running too strong for him to listen to reason any longer. He was going to see Yami, no matter the heartache the senior had caused him yesterday. Something was driving him, something beyond his control, and the sense of the inevitable he had got yesterday when Yami had kissed him was stronger than before. Heartache or no heartache, he wanted to belong to Yami, as the senior so clearly wanted. He was through worrying about consequences. From now on, he was going to follow his heart, and he had the feeling that he was going in the right direction.

 

He paused at the head of the corridor and looked anxiously around the corner. As luck would have it, Yami was coming back from the library, a defeated, unhappy look on his face. Yugi felt his heart melt at the sight of that sadness, and he realized that he had been right all along; Yami had not set out to deliberately break his heart. The gaggle of girls surrounding him all day today had gotten wind of his attraction to Yugi, and they obviously didn't want to see him turn gay, at least not while they could help it.

 

Yugi took a deep breath. In a few minutes, those girls would have no say in the matter, because he was going to make his claim on the senior who had stolen his heart away with seemingly little effort on his part. With another deep breath, he stepped out from his hiding place, and watched Yami's face change from unhappy to disbelieving in two seconds. Something glowed deep in his crimson eyes as he approached the junior, and Yugi felt something turn over inside him at that look. It was quickly suppressed, however, and a cool, icy mask settled over the other teen's face, striking Yugi to the core of his being in a way he couldn't explain. It sure was painful, though, to see the older teen's emotions so quickly suppressed underneath that mask. Matters were far worse than Yugi had thought. He was going to have to do some fast and fancy footwork if he was to straighten things out between himself and Yami.

 

“What are you doing here?” he asked, a small, bitter twist to his lips. “Shouldn't you be with your girlfriend?”

 

Yugi almost recoiled at the bitterness in Yami's tone, but he had seen that hot glow in his eyes before the mask slipped into place, belying his cold words, and the junior knew that this was the moment of truth. He had to act now, or risk losing Yami forever. “Tea's not my girlfriend,” he said.

 

Yami regarded him skeptically. “Really?” he said coldly. “I didn't see you protesting much when she led you off, like a lamb to the slaughter. Or not. You seemed a pretty willing victim to me.”

 

Yugi wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. This wasn't going the way he wanted it to go at all! Damn Tea! “Why don't you believe me?” he asked plaintively. He hadn't meant for his upset to show, but a hint of sadness came out in his voice before he could stop himself, and he felt the tears starting to rise. Was he too late? Had he lost Yami already? He had to press on. “You don't understand at all,” he protested. “Listen to me, please?”

 

“Fine,” Yami sighed. “Come to my dorm room and we can talk there.” He walked past Yugi without another glance, and the junior fell into step beside him. He wanted very much to slip his hand inside that of the older teen, but knew that that was probably pushing it too far. He would wait until he knew the lay of the land before he went any further.

 

Yami's dorm room was only a few feet down the corridor, and Yugi made a mental note of the number while waiting for Yami to unlock the door. When it was open, he followed the senior inside, looking curiously around him. Like all dorm rooms, Yami's was small, furnished only with a wardrobe, a chest of drawers, a desk, a lamp, a small bar fridge, and a mini-kitchenette. But unlike Yugi's dorm room, which looked out over the teacher's carpark and the oval, Yami's room had a nice view of the city, with the harbor beyond. The sun was shining brightly today, turning the water into a deep, sparkling blue. The sky arched overhead in a near mirror image of perfect blue, and when Yami opened the window, a faint salt breeze drifted in.

 

“Would you like a drink?” the older teen asked. Each word was spoken carefully, but there was a controlled tightness to his voice, and Yugi remembered what he was here for.

 

“Yes please,” he said, looking around at the room once again. Unlike his room, there was a double bed here, and for just the barest fraction of a second, all Yugi's fears and insecurities stirred. Then he told himself that everything was going to be just fine. He WOULD get Yami to talk to him, and they WOULD reach an understanding. Maybe things wouldn't progress too far beyond that, but it would start their relationship off on a nice foot if they could begin on friendly terms.

 

Yami handed him a soda, and Yugi smiled at him. “Thank you,” he said. Yami nodded slightly and sat on the bed, setting his own can down on the small beside table before taking his shoes off and letting them fall to the floor with a contented sigh. He then reached for the can, opened it, and took a long swig. He set the can down again and looked at Yugi, raising one eyebrow.

 

“Well? Sit down. If we're going to talk, I'd rather we were both comfortable.”

 

Yugi flushed to the roots of his hair as he realized he had been standing, looking at Yami with a VERY goofy expression on his face for ages now. “Sorry,” he muttered, looking around for somewhere to sit.

 

“Yugi. Sit here. I won't bite.”

 

He turned back, and flushed again. Yami was watching him with a faintly impatient expression, and he patted the bed. Yugi nodded and joined Yami, unlacing his own shoes before looking at the senior with a quizzical look on his face. The older boy nodded, and Yugi let his shoes fall to the floor, wriggling his toes in relief.

 

“Don't like the shoes, huh?”

 

Yugi could have done a dance. Now Yami was starting to talk to him without that bitterness in his voice, or that carefully controlled tone. There was hope for him after all.

 

“I don't mind them,” he answered, opening his own can and taking a swallow of soda. “It's just that when you spend six hours a day in them, they can get to be a bit of a pain sometimes.” He set his can down on the other bedside table, this one on his side of the bed as he said this.

 

Yami chuckled. “You should get the boots I wear,” he said. Yugi had already seen them, and he nodded as the senior continued speaking. “Believe it or not, they're very comfortable.”

 

“I don't know,” Yugi said, a little uncertainly. “I mean, they have so many buckles on them.”

 

Yami laughed this time, a deep, rich sound that sent shivers of delight down Yugi's spine. “Trust me, a guy can never have too many buckles,” he said, still chuckling.

 

Yugi rolled his eyes, his earlier unease forgotten. “Has it ever occurred to you that you look like a gay porn star with those wristbands, those buckles, and that leather shirt of yours?” he asked, before blushing to the roots of his hair for a THIRD time. Man, his brain must've been on holiday for him to come out with THAT.

 

“Really?” Yami asked, raising an eyebrow again, and somehow managing to look very sexy doing so at the same time without even breaking a sweat. “I guess the thought had never occurred to me.”

 

{He's lying} Yugi thought crossly. {He KNOWS he looks like a gay porn star in all that get up}

 

“So, what is it you wanted to talk about?” Yami asked suddenly, lying back on the pillow and looking up at Yugi with crimson eyes that seemed to pierce the younger teen to the core of his being. The cool mask was still there, but Yugi knew better. He had cracked that mask once before. He was going to crack it again.

 

“I want to explain what happened at lunchtime today,” he said, wishing he could take those words back as soon as they were out of his mouth when he saw Yami's face harden again. He pressed on, however, determined not to let the older teen get to him. “It wasn't what it looked like. You see, Tea got very protective of me when I told her what happened yesterday, and she told me she was going to skin you when she got her hands on you. At first I agreed with her, because I was so angry and upset with you, and seeing you with Serenity Wheeler didn't mend matters any, because she was very clingy with you, and you weren't doing anything to try and shake her off. Tea thought that, not being content with giving me the proverbial finger yesterday, you wanted to trample my heart into the ground even further.”

 

“I couldn't shake Serenity off because Mai Valentine had egged her on to try and make a move on me when her attempts to seduce me failed,” Yami said angrily. “Apparently Mai saw me kiss you yesterday, and she collared me after school, wanting to know what on earth I was doing flirting with a freaky gay midget like you when I could be with a much more sophisticated person, namely herself, or one of her slutty friends. She spoke quite loudly, and I wondered why, until I shook her off and saw you running back to your dorm room. I then realized that she had either seen you, or she knew you were waiting to talk to me. Either way, she wanted it to look as though I had let you on only to set you up for a fall. She was going to make out with me in the common room today in front of you, and had I not told her this morning that I'd break her neck if she hurt you in any way, she would have done it too.

 

“But she didn't listen to me, it seems. As soon as I left to come looking for you, she spread the word, and I soon had all her slutty friends hanging off me at every opportunity. They normally don't pay much attention to me, but as soon as a student appears to be turning gay, especially a popular student like me, the girls are out in force to make sure he doesn't follow through with it. You're very lucky, by the way. In some situations, the love interest is targeted, even if he's done or said nothing to attract the other person's attention. I made a bit of a mistake in kissing you so publicly. I never dreamed that Mai would see me. If I'd known she was watching, I'd have made my first move more discreet.” He shrugged. “I was careless that first time. I know better now.

 

“Serenity was the latest to try her charms on me, and she was very insistent, as you would have no doubt seen this morning. It took me some time to shake her off, and when I finally did, I told her to tell Mai that if another girl tried chatting me up, I'd go to the principal and disclose some secrets best kept in the dark. Mai is very deserving of the title of school slut, you know.”

 

Yugi didn't need to guess. “I had no idea,” he admitted. “Tea and I thought it was because you wanted to trample me into the ground further after what you did yesterday.”

 

“Sometimes appearances can be deceiving.” Yami took another swallow of soda, and they sat in silence for a few moments. Then the crimson-eyed teen spoke again. “So now that you know the truth behind everything you saw yesterday and today, it's your turn.”

 

Yugi nodded. “Well, like I said, Tea and I thought you didn't care a fig about me when we saw you talking to Serenity Wheeler.” He suddenly wondered why the name was so familiar, then shrugged and kept talking. He'd worry about it later. “Tea told me she'd talk to the principal after school, and get her to more or less ban you from talking to me, let alone coming within three feet of me.”

 

“Tea's got a nasty surprise waiting for her,” Yami said with a small grin. “The principal is my elder sister. She always takes my side, so long as the best interests of the school are not conflicted with in any way. She will discipline me if she knows it's the right thing to do. She doesn't play favourites in any way if I've done something that breaches the school rules. And wanting to go out with another male student does not breach the school rules, at least not last time I checked. And if Tea wants to have me banned from talking to you, she's not going to get very far. I know some secrets about her that would embarrass her greatly should they become public knowledge.”

 

Yugi hid his surprise. He had no idea the principal was actually Yami's sister. They didn't look alike in the slightest… hang on. Now that he listened to Yami's voice more clearly, he recognized the cadences he heard in Miss Gagasaki's voice. Why did they have different surnames, though? he wondered. Maybe they were half-siblings, or step-siblings. Well, this was something else to think about later when he had the time. “We weren't expecting to see you at lunchtime, and when we did, it was a shock. Tea was ready to eat fire, but when I saw it was you, and saw how unhappy you looked, I realized that you hadn't set out to hurt me. I wanted to talk to you, but Tea wouldn't let me, and she dragged me off to class even though we had a half hour to go before the bell went off.

 

“I tried shaking her off for the rest of the day, but she wouldn't let me out of her sight. She wouldn't even let me cut through the seniors' corridor to get to my last class, even though she KNOWS it's the quickest way to get to the science block. She doesn't even HAVE that last class with me, and she wanted to escort me to the door so I wouldn't get “molested” by you. Duke Devlin told her to butt out and leave me alone, and when Tea got into an argument with him, I slipped off and got to class without her breathing down my neck. She wasn't waiting for me at the final bell, although she did try talking to me again when I was going back to my dorm room. I told her to get lost and stop babying me, and she was so shocked she left me alone after that.”

 

Yami was impressed. He hadn't thought Yugi was the kind to actually stand up to someone, but then again, he reasoned, it was always the gentle types who cracked when people least expected them to, with a burst of temper that was a fearsome sight to behold. It also confirmed what he had known all along; Yugi wanted nothing of Tea's attentions, even though it had seemed that way, and the senior was suddenly ashamed that he had ever doubted the younger teen. All the same, Tea didn't sound the type to let something escape her THAT easily. He had the feeling that she was still going to try and take Yugi away in a misguided attempt to protect him. He couldn't let that happen, not now when he and Yugi had reached this tentative understanding.

 

Yugi, for his part, was feeling very relieved. Yami had listened to him, and even though he hadn't said anything yet, the younger teen knew that they had reached an understanding. Put simply, at least they now knew that the other hadn't set out to wreck the fragile bond growing between them, and Yugi certainly hoped that it would lead to more. He waited for Yami to speak, however. He didn't want to wreck things.

 

The senior finally broke the silence when it had reached almost unbearable proportions, deciding that it was time to voice his worst fears. He wasn't worried about Mai and her crew causing any more trouble; he had taken care of THEM with ease, but Tea still presented a problem, despite his confidence that he could handle her should she try something else. “What of Tea the Guard Dog?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, smiling when this elicited a giggle from Yugi. “Do you think she will try the overprotective bulldog mode with you again tomorrow?”

 

Yugi was delighted. This was just the opening he had been looking for! Now, to try and insinuate what he wanted without making it seem like that was what he was doing. “Not if she doesn't have reason to,” he said.

 

Yami frowned as he considered what Yugi had said. What did the younger teen mean? he wondered. There was something in what he had said, but the older teen was stumped as to what it was. He looked at Yugi, sitting cross-legged beside him, the soda can in his hand, the picture of cherubic innocence to the untrained eye. What did he mean by giving Tea cause not to go into overprotective bulldog mode?

 

The moment was interrupted when a thunderous knocking almost broke the door down, and Yami frowned as he rose. He stalked across to the door and threw it open. “What the fuck do YOU want?” he demanded of the very brunette Yugi had mentioned a few moments ago.

 

“I want you to get the hell away from Yugi,” Tea hissed. “I tried looking for him after he disappeared on me, and if Mai Valentine hadn't tipped me off, I would never have realized he was here. Now let me see him!”

 

Mai Valentine again! Yami had had enough. He seized Tea by the shoulders, ignoring her wince of pain as he thrust his angry face very close to hers. “You listen to me, Tea Gardner,” he hissed. “I want you to leave Yugi alone. Understand? He is quite capable of looking after himself. And tell Mai Valentine the next time you see her that I am off limits. There are some secrets of hers that would make for VERY interesting listening should they be made public. And the same goes for you. You don't exactly have a clean slate, from what I hear.”

 

Tea stiffened, her eyes going past Yami to see Yugi sitting on the bed, and her heart grew even hotter at the fact that he looked so comfortable sitting there, as if he belonged there. “What did you say to him?” she hissed, ignoring Yami's threat for the moment.

 

“I? I didn't say anything,” Yami said coolly. “He came looking for me of his own free will. He wanted to talk to me, to clear up a misunderstanding between us. He was under the impression that I had deliberately led him on and then set him up for a fall, and I was under the impression that he had turned his back on me and was going to start dating you to get back at me for a crime I never committed. It turns out we were both wrong; I did not set him up for a fall, and he did not retaliate by turning to you for comfort and beginning a relationship with you to get back at me for hurting him. We now understand each other, and Yugi is quite happy, as you can see.”

 

“That's a lie,” Tea cried, straining to get past Yami. His iron-hard body was an immovable wall, however, and she beat futilely on his chest. “You're a liar, Yami Mutou! You did set Yugi up for a fall! Everyone knows you sleep with every girl you come across!”

 

Yami swore. He had never hit a girl before, but Tea was going to be the first if she didn't shut her lying trap. He didn't look over his shoulder at Yugi though, in case he lost his resolve to settle this without bringing the smaller teen into it.

 

However, before he could say anything, he felt two small arms go around his waist, and a warm body pressed up against his back. He immediately felt better, and Tea couldn't mistake the relief in his eyes. “You're quite wrong,” he said, quite suddenly feeling on top of the world. “My reputation makes me out to be a worse person than what I am. I have quite a clean slate compared to you and your little fuck buddy, Mai Valentine.”

 

Tea stiffened, her eyes going wide, her face paling in outrage. “How DARE you!” she yelled, slapping him as hard across the face as she could. “THAT'S THE MOST FILTHY THING I HAVE EVER HEARD IN ALL MY LIFE! HOW DARE YOU INSINUATE THAT I…!”

 

“I'd keep your voice down if I were you,” Yami advised her with a completely straight face, although on the inside, he was laughing his head off at Tea's predicament. This was proving to be very entertaining indeed, the pain of the soon-to-be-forming-bruise on his cheek bothering him not at all. “You don't want another rumour added to your already growing and rather infamous reputation, do you?”

 

“You shut that damn trap of yours right now,” Tea hissed, in control of herself once more. “Now you listen to ME. Yugi is not yours. He never will be yours. He is going to belong to me, and he WILL belong to me. I am not letting you get your filthy paws all over him and corrupting him. He is the sweetest, kindest person I know, and I am not letting you turn him into a gay freak like you! He is too good to become one of your fuck buddies, to quote your own potty mouth!”

 

“I think I know Yugi's best interests better than you do,” Yami said coldly. “You see, I understand him a lot better than you think. He is attracted to someone for the first time in his life. I would wager this is the first serious crush he has had. I have had experience in dating, and believe it or not, the few girls I have dated come away from the experience with hearts - and their virginity, I might add - intact. I have never once had someone coming after me for breaking girls' hearts, because I never let it get beyond anything too serious. I have never once slept with any of the girls I dated, but I am not entirely clueless when it comes to sex, either. My elder sister taught me how to treat a girl right, and I intend to use that knowledge with Yugi, even though he is not a girl. I am just the kind of person he needs.

 

“You, on the other hand, are not the person he needs. You want to date him for what you call his own good, but he would be very unhappy with you. You would possess him. You would own him body and soul. You wouldn't ever let him speak to another girl, let alone another guy. You would smother him, drive him into a corner, and ultimately drive him away from you.

 

“Yugi is gay. You might as well accept that here as now. He is never going to have more than a passing interest in girls, and he is going to be far better off with someone who understands him. I happen to be that someone, for your information, so you might as well get used to it.”

 

“If you're so sure of what Yugi thinks, let him speak for himself!” Tea cried angrily. “You're doing all the talking for him, attributing thoughts to him that probably aren't even his own! Let him defend you, if you think he cares that much! I'd be willing to bet he doesn't even feel the way you say he does! He's probably paying you back, setting you up for a fall, and then laughing his head off as you fall harder than you've ever fallen before in your sad, pathetic little life. Then he's going to come back to me. He's always loved me, and we were meant to be together. And we are going to be together, no matter what it takes. I'm not letting you stand in the way of getting what I want, and especially when it's also something Yugi wants as well. So how do you like that, huh? How's it feel to be on the receiving end for a change?”

 

Yami was suddenly pierced by a cold sliver of doubt. WAS Yugi using him? No, that didn't seem possible. The boy had shaken Tea off and had come to him of his own free will to clear up their misunderstandings. And yet, Yami couldn't be sure, not after what Tea had just said. What if she was right? What if - even worse - she and Yugi had set this whole scenario up, to make him look like a fool when it all came out in the wash? No, it couldn't be possible. Yugi wasn't the type to concoct this kind of scheme. He seemed the type to come out in the open, to lay his feelings on the table for all to see. He didn't sneak around and make plots that had a bajillion holes in them. If he did scheme and plot, his ideas would be more subtle and much more cleverly executed than Tea's would ever be. But all the same, the note of complete certainty in Tea's voice was almost more than he could bear. Surely fate wouldn't be this cruel to him, not when he and Yugi had just reached an understanding and were on the path to finally becoming friends, with the option down the track of becoming so much more?

 

He was brought out of his unhappy thoughts by Yugi's voice, speaking harshly, and the older teen realized after a moment that the younger was talking to Tea.

 

“I don't love you, Tea. You just made that up so you could get Yami to be mad at me so you could be there to pick up the pieces. You never had a problem with me being gay before. Why are you so against it now?”

 

“Because he was talking to Mai Valentine yesterday,” Tea almost wailed. “He's a heartbreaker, Yugi. Can't you see that? He's only out to break your heart. You've seen him with girls hanging off him 24/7. You've heard all the stories about how much of a ladies' man he is and how many hearts he's broken in the past. He's going to break your heart sure as gun's iron. I don't want you getting your heart broken by him, Yugi. You deserve far better than this.”

 

“I'd rather have my heart broken by him than by you,” Yugi shot back. “At least he'd be honest with me and tell me how he felt, instead of sneaking around behind my back and paying people to cause trouble!”

 

“What?” Yami exploded.

 

“It's true,” Yugi said. “She set all this up. She's been after me for the longest time, just like Mai has been after you, Yami. I didn't twig about how sneaky she was, or how thick as thieves she and Mai were until I ran into Duke Devlin just before I came to see you. Remember how I told you he'd told Tea to back off and leave me alone when I was on my way to my last class? He saw Tea and Mai talking after Tea saw me to our next class. He overheard everything they said, and he told me after the final class. He was the one who told me to come to you, Yami. I would have done it anyway, but what Duke said reaffirmed my belief that you were innocent, and that you'd been set up so it would look as though you had used me and then cast me aside to go chasing after the likes of Mai. He has at least half a dozen people who can testify to the conversation between Tea and Mai after lunch. Tea just admitted it herself, when she said Mai had told her I was coming here.”

 

Yami was horrified. So was Tea. “Yugi, that's not true,” she cried. “You know I'd never turn on you like that! I'm your friend, and I love you. I just want you to be happy, and you'd never be happy with someone like Yami.”

 

“Tea, stop lying to me,” Yugi told her, his voice sadder than Yami had ever heard it. “You've had it in for Yami ever since he kissed me yesterday, and you told Mai to collar him after school. You set your friends to spy on me, and you told Mai I was waiting for Yami just at the head of the seniors' corridor. You set it all up, and you were going to come off as the saviour when Yami supposedly broke my heart. You would have succeeded too if you hadn't been busted. The principal knows, by the way. Right now, Duke Devlin, Tristan Taylor, and four others are speaking to her. You might also want to consider that the principal is Yami's sister. She doesn't favour him when it comes to breaking school rules, but she's not going to be easy on you when she finds out what you did ever since yesterday. I strongly recommend you start thinking about your future, because you're going to be suspended, if not expelled.”

 

“Yugi, no,” Tea cried. “Oh, can't you see? Yami is twisting you already. He's turned you into a spiteful, vindictive monster. Yugi, please tell me that's still you in there, that you're still the same, sweet boy I've always known.” Tears started to glint in her eyes, and Yami repressed the urge to be violently ill.

 

“Stop it,” Yugi said harshly. “Your tears aren't going to work, Tea. You're the vindictive one. So long as I remained securely in your grasp, you didn't have a thing to worry about. You just bided your time until the moment was right to snap me up and make me your own. And the sad part is that I would have let you. I would have become your boy toy, and we would have been the toast of the whole school.”

 

He suddenly tightened his arms around Yami, and the older teen could only listen in amazement as the younger spoke again, his voice a little muffled because he still had his face pressed against Yami's back, but it was clear enough for Tea to hear, and she turned whiter and whiter with each word.

 

“But now I've found someone who truly understands me, who doesn't laugh in my face because I'm gay, who knows what I need even if I don't. He's true to his feelings, and doesn't scheme and cheat and lie to get what he wants. If he wants something, he bides his time, and he waits for the right moment to start doing what needs doing. He's honest and loyal, and he knows how to treat people right. He'll never use me just to get a good fuck out of me, and then boast to his friends how good I was in bed, the way Mai Valentine and all her slutty friends do. You fit right in with them, Tea.”

 

The girl's face turned ever whiter than before, and sudden venom glinted in her eyes. For just the barest fraction of a second, Yami was afraid she might try to lunge past him and attack the smaller teen, and he braced himself.

 

Nothing happened, however, and Tea regained her composure. She drew herself up to her full height and glared such daggers at Yami that he realized he had just made an enemy for life. “Sick freaks,” she hissed. “You disgust me, the pair of you.” Then she turned and was gone before either teen could say anything.

 

Finally, after a long moment of silence, Yami sighed, a long sigh that seemed to come from the bottom of his toes and closed the door with a resounding bang. “And that is that,” he announced. “What a vicious…” He suddenly became aware of soft crying, and turned, appalled. He'd forgotten that Yugi had heard Tea's last vicious comment, and it had obviously wounded him deeply. He had the smaller teen in his arms in a second, rubbing his back in soothing circles and whispering softly to him until the tears subsided. “Damn that bitch,” the older teen sighed, resting his chin on Yugi's shoulder. “I forgot she was your friend. I'm sorry.”

 

Yugi shook his head, his hair tickling Yami's face. “S'okay,” he said. “Now that I know what her true nature is, I'll know never to trust her ever again.”

 

“Me neither,” Yami admitted on another long sigh. “I just hope she doesn't try to attack you or sic any of her friends on you. But after today's performance, her chances of staying in this school are slim to none.”

 

Yugi closed his eyes as he nodded, pushing himself further into the older teen's arms. He felt very safe and secure, and never wanted the feeling to end. It was as if he had reached a safe harbor after a violent storm, and he was happier than words could ever describe. “Yami,” he said after a few moments.

 

“What is it?” the senior asked.

 

Yugi giggled again. “Nothing,” he said. “I just wanted to say your name.”

 

Yami was surprised, and touched at the same time. This was certainly something new. “Thank you,” he said.

 

“What for?” the junior asked.

 

“For believing in me,” Yami answered. “I've never had anyone standing up for me the way you did, and it made me feel, I don't know, very warm inside. I've never felt that way before, and it's a nice feeling.”

 

“I've got to thank you too,” Yugi said. “You believed in me when Tea was trying to get us to hate each other. You're the first person who's stood up for me, not because they felt sorry for me, but because they genuinely believed in me.”

 

Yami smiled. “Then we both understand each other,” he said.

 

Yugi `hm'ed' happily. Then he spoke again. “Is Duke Devlin one of your friends?” he asked.

 

“He's a good friend,” Yami agreed. Gods, he was loving the feel of Yugi being in his arms so much that he didn't want to let go. It was a good thing Yugi was enjoying it too. “I talked to him about my problems after Mai collared me yesterday, and he promised to look out for us if we needed any help.”

 

“Wow,” Yugi said admiringly. “It sounds like your friends really care about you a lot.” He sighed. “I thought Tea cared about me too, but after her performance today, I can see it was all just an act. I feel so let down and betrayed.”

 

Yami hugged him tighter. “Now you've got someone who won't do that to you,” he said softly, brushing his lips against Yugi's cheek in a soft caress that sent shivers down the younger teen's spine. “I'm never going to hide my feelings from you, or pretend I'm feeling something that I'm not. I'm always going to be completely honest with you.”

 

Yugi shyly kissed Yami's cheek in return. “And I promise to be honest with you as well,” he said. “You're going to be the first real friend I've ever had, Yami.”

 

“I'm very honoured,” Yami said. And he meant it. He wasn't going to push Yugi into a relationship just yet. He'd be waiting for him, though. “But I'm not going to be your only friend, Yugi. If you like, I'll introduce you to my other friends tonight.”

 

“Tonight?” Yugi asked, his voice slightly puzzled.

 

“Why yes,” Yami said, smiling again. “I'll ask you formally. Yugi, would you like to come to the dance with me tonight?”

 

Yugi pulled back, looking wide-eyed at him. “You really mean that?” he asked incredulously.

 

“I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it, now would I?” the older teen teased.

 

Yugi's face lit up in an enormous grin, and he hugged Yami tightly. “I'd love to come,” he said. “But I don't have anything to wear,” he added after a few moments in a plaintive tone.

 

“Don't worry. I'll lend you something,” Yami assured him. A truly wicked grin lit up his face. “I could turn you into a miniature version of me. How does that sound?”

 

“No way!” Yugi exclaimed, thankful that his blush was hidden. “I couldn't… I mean… I've never… I just…”

 

Yami chuckled to himself. “I am going to do with you as I will tonight,” he said in the younger teen's ear. He felt Yugi squirm, and blew gently on his ear, laughing softly at the junior's reaction. “You don't have any choice in the matter, I'm afraid.”

 

For no particular reason, Yugi felt a shiver go down his spine at those words. This was going to prove very interesting indeed, he thought, a pleasurable chill shooting down his spine. “Okay,” he said. “You can have your way with me. But just for tonight,” he added, with a grin of his own.

 

“We'll just see about that,” Yami teased.

 

 

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~