Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ High School Love ❯ High school Love chapter six ( Chapter 6 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

HIGH SCHOOL LOVE
 
CHAPTER 6
 
 
 
 
Saturday dawned cool, with a few high clouds scattered across the sky. There was also a stiff breeze blowing, but the sun was shining brightly enough to cut some of the chill. It was no real surprise that the weather had turned somewhat, but all the same, Yugi was glad for the sweater Yami had insisted he wear just prior to their setting out into the city. “We don't want someone else laid up in the sick bay,” the elder teen had said, and Yugi had nodded agreement, thinking sympathetically of poor Joey, still laid up following his gastro attack the night before. Yugi and Yami had visited him after breakfast, and they had promised to bring him back something to cheer him up a little.
 
 
 
 
They were now in the city, and Yami asked Yugi where he'd like to go. “The Domino Arcade,” the shorter of the two announced.
 
“That sounds as good a place as any,” Yami agreed, and, hand in hand, the two headed in that direction, drawing more than a few curious looks. A group of girls standing on a street corner turned to watch them as they walked past, looking for all the world as though they wanted to eat the boys with a spoon. When they saw the teens' clasped hands, however, there were sighs of disappointment. “Didn't I tell you they were gay?” one girl said to her companions. “The good-looking ones always are.”
 
Yami overheard this comment and smirked to himself a little. “It seems to me that those girls were disappointed to discover we're not available,” he said in an undertone to Yugi, who giggled.
 
Five minutes later, they reached the arcade, which was surprisingly quiet. “Where is everyone?” Yugi wondered, looking around. “I thought there'd be lots of people here.”
 
“That means we get the place practically to ourselves,” Yami said, bending down to nip lightly at the smaller teen's ear, earning him a surprised squeak and a blush from the object of his affections. “I don't know about you, but I've always wanted to come here on a date, and now my wish has come true.”
 
Yugi blushed again, this time from pleasure, his ear tingling a little from Yami's nip. He felt warm all over, and so happy that it was a wonder his feet were still on the ground. Now that he had shelved the prickly question of love for the time being, he was free to enjoy the day and Yami's company. He looked around and pointed at the DDR pad. “Wanna try that?” he asked.
 
Yami looked consideringly at the game. “I suppose,” he said at last. “I don't know how to play it, though.”
 
“I'll teach you,” Yugi said eagerly, tugging at Yami's hand and leading him over to the pad. “We'll start with something basic until you can find your feet, and then we can start doing the more difficult stuff.”
 
Yami allowed himself to be pulled up onto the pad, wondering what had happened to his normally quiet doppelganger. He guessed it had something to do with the fact that Yugi was letting go his usual reservations and was totally relaxed and happy, just as he had been last night when they had played Uno in Yami's dorm room. The elder teen felt a smile touch his face at the memory. Yugi had been quite shy at first, but when they had started their first game, the smaller teen had started relaxing, until by the time their third game had ended, there was no trace of shyness in him. He certainly hadn't hesitated to collect Yami in the face with a pillow afterwards, the elder teen reflected with a rueful grin. He'd had no idea Yugi could be that cheeky, or pack such a punch with such a harmless object.
 
He came back to himself to find Yugi poking him in the ribs. “Earth to Yami,” he said, giggling. His amethyst eyes were sparkling. “You ready to go?”
 
Yami nodded, drinking in those beautiful orbs until he was positively drowning in them. Yugi blushed but held that gaze for a long, timeless moment until the music started. For a moment, it was as if the world had stood still for the two of them alone, and they were in a place all their own, a place so beautiful, magical and wonderful that to come back to the real world was an unpleasant jolt. Yami reluctantly tore his eyes away as the music started. “You're going to have to give me some pointers,” he said in as light a tone as he could manage. “I'm afraid my exceptional dance skills won't avail me here.”
 
Yugi grinned. “You're in the hands of an expert here,” he promised.
 
“Why does that scare me?” Yami teased, and Yugi giggled.
 
 
 
 
After a few rounds of DDR, Yami had had enough of, as he jokingly called it, getting trounced by Yugi. “Can I help it if I'm such a natural at DDR?” he asked innocently, looking up at Yami with enormous amethyst eyes that turned the crimson-eyed senior into a pile of goop on the spot. He had to concede that Yugi was a born natural at DDR.
 
“But that doesn't mean you're going to get the best of me on the virtual racing circuit,” he threatened with a smile as they headed in that direction. “I've been told I'm the king of the track.”
 
“By beating poor helpless individuals whose only crime is to be a little less good at it than you are?” Yugi teased, and Yami howled with laughter as he pulled the smaller teen into a hug and pecked him on the neck. Gods, if he wasn't in love with Yugi yet, he was pretty damn close to it!
 
“I plan on making you one of those poor helpless individuals,” he said in the amethyst-eyed teen's ear, before nipping it lightly once more. “I'm going to have you begging for mercy before too long.”
 
Yugi squirmed free, blushing again. “We'll just see about that,” he retorted, grinning from ear to ear despite his blush.
 
 
 
 
As he had predicted, Yami gave Yugi a taste of his own medicine by giving him a sound thrashing on the circuit. After three races, Yugi had had it up to his eyeballs. “I'm going to pay you out for making such a fool out of me,” he teased, pouncing on Yami and leading him in the direction of the pinball machines. “No one's beaten me at pinball yet, and I intend to keep it that way.”
 
Yami, laughing, pulled his hand free. “No, there's no way on this planet you are getting ahead of me again,” he said, putting an arm around Yugi's waist and leading him towards the exits. “You trounced me at DDR, and I gave you a hiding on the racing circuit. Let's call it even and come back here again another time to do some more mutual thrashing.”
 
Yugi pouted a little, but then smiled and shrugged. “Sure,” he agreed, allowing Yami to lead him out of the arcade, never guessing the true reason for the elder teen's change of heart. Yami had seen Mai and Tea on the DDR pad, each trying to outdance the other. He didn't want to be within three feet of them at the moment, and he wanted Yugi as far away from the two girls as was humanly possible. It was bad enough they had to go to the same school. He wasn't going to have the two biggest sluts ruining what was supposed to be a good day, spent with the object of his affections.
 
 
 
 
Mai watched Yami and Yugi go with a sneer. “Good riddance,” she said hatefully. “They should know better than to come here, of all places, isn't that right?”
 
Tea nodded, eyes smouldering. She was still smarting from yesterday's encounter with Seto Kaiba. The nerve of that jerk to threaten her in such a cold fashion! She was well rid of him. And one day, she was going to pay him back for making such a fool of her!
 
What hurt far worse, though, was hearing Yugi at the soccer game yesterday. She would never forget the spike of ice that had pierced the moment his voice has risen above the roar of the crowd and the shouting of the two teams, proclaiming his devotion to Yami once and for all. The hate, disgust, pain and anger sweeping through her at that moment had made her so ill she had thought she was going to barf then and there. She would never have dreamed that Yugi would have had such unwavering faith in Yami after she and Mai had spread more rumours yesterday morning to try and put a wedge between the two teens. It had either failed, or had lost all its effects when Yugi had made his faith and devotion to Yami clear as he had scored the final winning goal against Tokyo High.
 
“THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, YAMI!”
 
The crazy irony of it all had been the fact that Yami had only shown up during the second half of the game. Tea felt a sneer cross her face at the memory. Yami had been so close to losing Yugi, thus justifying her and Mai's rumours to the hilt, but he had shown up, shattering a final, desperate hope that Yugi would perhaps come to her for comfort. Now beyond all reasonable doubt, Yugi and Yami were destined to be together. The obstacles thrown in their way had failed to deter them, and now there was nothing more she could do. It was all over for her. Her punishment for what she had tried to do would be to see Yugi and Yami grow closer and closer by the day, while she was unable to do anything about it. It was enough to make one want to puke one's guts out.
 
 
 
 
Outside, the wind was blowing more strongly than before, and there was a new chill to the air. Yami smelt rain on the wind, and his sharp eyes noted how much more cloudy it had grown. “You want to go back?” he asked Yugi, pointing at the sky. “It's starting to look like it might turn nasty.”
 
Yugi shook his head, surprisingly. “No,” he said, snuggling closer to Yami. “I want to stay out. Besides, even if one of us catches a cold, the other can look after them.” He said this with such a cutely innocent look on his face that Yami felt as though his heart had just turned over. He hugged Yugi close to his side.
 
“Very well. Since you insist, I won't argue,” he said, smiling down at the object of his affections, and Yugi smiled back, a faint blush tinting his cheeks.
 
Thanks to the increased chill, they redirected their steps back into the city, away from the docks, where they had originally planned to go, and soon entered the mall, which was full of shoppers. There were mostly families out for a day's shopping, but couples roamed the mall as well, either with their arms around each other, or hand in hand. Groups of girls also wandered the mall's three levels, and Yugi was surprised to recognise Serenity Wheeler in one group. They had had a reconciliation yesterday following the dance on Thursday night, thanks to Joey's intervention, and when the red-haired girl caught Yugi's eye, she smiled and waved. Yugi and Yami waved back, and they continued their separate ways.
 
“I'll bet you Serenity's here for one of three reasons,” Yami commented, as they stepped onto an escalator to go to the first floor. “She's either getting a present for Duke, a get-well present for Joey, or she's on a shoe-shopping spree.”
 
Yugi giggled as the escalator made its way up. “What if she's here for a fourth reason?” he asked.
 
Yami laughed as they stepped off the escalator. “She could be,” he agreed, looking around. “Girls can be funny like that.”
 
Yugi giggled again as he pulled free of Yami's embrace so he could take the older teen by the hand. “Let's go window shopping,” he said, and Yami once again allowed himself to be led wherever his doppelganger desired to go.
 
They wandered the upper levels of the mall for about three-quarters of an hour, until finally, just after 12, Yugi's stomach gurgled, and he blushed. “I guess it's time for lunch,” Yami guessed with a smile, and Yugi nodded, still red to the roots of his hair.
 
They had lunch in the upper food court, which looked out over the docks and then out to sea itself. It was starting to get even greyer than before, and Yami was getting considerably worried, although he forbade himself to show it. He didn't want to wreck what had so far been a perfect day by getting all authoritative and insisting they go back to the school to escape the weather. Besides, he assured himself, it wasn't as if they couldn't purchase some umbrellas if the need really arose. There were plenty of stores that sold wet weather apparel.
 
After lunch, the two wandered around some more, enjoying both the atmosphere of the mall and each other's company. Yugi was just like a little kid, pressing his face eagerly against shop windows and exclaiming over the wonders therein, almost dragging Yami at times when he grew particularly excited over this or that shop window. The elder teen had no complaints, though; he was content to let Yugi dictate where they went, and besides, he loved watching the object of his affections acting so carefree and happy. It made Yami both happy and sad to see the smaller teen so happy; on the one hand he was pleased to see that Yugi was so unreserved, and on the other hand, he was unhappy, because this was a side of the smaller teen he had not seen much of yet. He knew the reason; Yugi was scared that if he came out of his shell too much, he'd be rejected and made to suffer more heartbreak. And heartbreak was one thing he most definitely did not need. Yet it was the fear of heartbreak and rejection that was inhibiting him, preventing him from being totally at ease. It was saddening to see him show this side so little, and Yami racked his brains for a way to show Yugi that there was no such thing as rejection so long as he was around. He wanted very much for Yugi to show this side of his personality on a more permanent basis, but by the time Yugi decided that it was time to go back, Yami was no closer to a solution.
 
And yet, as they exited the mall, he wondered if there was really a need to find a solution. After all, despite still being painfully shy at times, Yugi was happy to be around him. His large amethyst eyes lit up at sight of him, and his whole face glowed, even when he was blushing to the roots of his hair. It was a sight to melt any heart, and as they waited for the lights to change so they could cross, Yami came to the conclusion that there was only one way to make Yugi happy. That was to never give him cause to be unhappy.
 
It was as easy as pie, he realized, as the lights changed and they crossed the road. It was getting steadily colder, and the scent of rain was stronger now, but Yami was barely aware of the sudden shift in the weather. The way to make Yugi happy was to spend as much time with him as he could. Since Yugi was so very obviously happy whenever he was around, Yami made it his personal goal to be with Yugi as much as he could be. That way, the smaller teen would shed his fear of rejection, and that happy, carefree side he had shown today would come out more and more, until the shy teen was gone, and the happy, confident teen was in his place.
 
A sudden crack of thunder brought Yami abruptly out of his thoughts, and Yugi immediately burrowed under his arm. “I think we're about to get wet,” he said in a small voice.
 
Yami hugged him close to his side. “Don't like storms, huh?” he asked.
 
“Not much,” Yugi admitted in a small, almost ashamed voice. The shy teen was back in full force, and Yami felt his heart give a wrench as he looked around to see how far away they were from the school. They were only a few hundred metres away.
 
He gave Yugi a quick peck on the cheek. “Let's make a run for it,” he said, just as another crack of thunder sounded. “We shouldn't get too wet.”
 
Yugi nodded, and they dashed towards the school.
 
 
 
 
“I am soaked!” Yugi looked at himself in dismay as he stood in front of the bathroom mirror in Yami's dorm room. The storm had caught them just as they had reached the front gates, and the two teens had become soaked in record time. Water pooled around his bare feet, and rivulets ran down his face and between his shoulderblades. Even his spiky hair was limp, and Yugi sighed as he began peeling his sodden clothes off. He was grateful to Yami for letting him have first use of the bathroom. The elder teen had made a beeline for Joey's dorm room so he could get changed there, and since the two seniors' rooms were right next door to each other, Yami wouldn't have far to travel.
 
When Yugi had stripped completely, he lost no time and jumped in the shower. Soon the blessedly hot water was beating down on his skin, and he heaved a second sigh, this one a sigh of complete and utter pleasure. He soon stopped shivering as little tingles travelled along his skin, signalling the defrosting process, and when he stepped out ten minutes later, he was feeling nice and warm again. Outside the storm was raging in full fury, but Yugi was no longer troubled by it, and he reached for one of the big, fluffy towels, humming a cheerful tune. There was still the matter of his wet clothes, but Yami had told him just to dump them in his laundry basket, and he'd take them to the communal laundry to whack them in the tumble dryer. Five minutes later, Yugi dumped his wet clothes in said basket.
 
He stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the rain outside. It was still pouring buckets, and Yugi was grateful they had gotten back in time. The thunder and lightning were less frequent now, and the wind had died down too, which meant that soon the storm would pass. Yugi was very glad for that.
 
He crossed his arms behind his head and opened his eyes to look up at the ceiling. He felt a little silly for getting so wound up when the storm had first hit. Yami hadn't said anything about his childishness when they got back, but he had the uncomfortable feeling that the elder teen was perhaps a tad annoyed with him. He was going to have to make it up as soon as Yami returned. He didn't want the object of his affections to grow annoyed with him for any reason. The thought was too disturbing, and he had just reached the point where he could start letting go his fear of rejection. He didn't want to start worrying about how genuine Yami's feelings for him were.
 
As if the thought had been a summons, the door opened, and Yami came in, whistling. He dumped his wet clothes in the laundry basket, and then, to Yugi's surprise, came over to the bed. He was wearing the same black pants and shirt Yugi had borrowed from him the day before, and the smaller teen felt a wave of intense emotion sweep him when he saw that Yami was wearing his shirt open to the waist. Yugi forgot all about his embarrassment at the sight of the elder teen's rock-hard chest, and he let his eyes wander over it unabashedly.
 
Yami chuckled. “If I'd realized the sight of my bare chest was so pleasing to you, I'd have started wearing my shirts open more often.” He laughed outright as Yugi blushed to the roots of his hair and scooted over to the middle of the bed, trying in vain to say something and failing. Yami abandoned his mirth as he sat on the bed, perceiving that he had perhaps gone a little bit too far in his teasing. “I'm sorry,” he apologized. “I guess I got carried away a little.”
 
“It's okay,” Yugi finally managed to say, still blushing although not as intensely as before. “I just… well, I like how you look, I guess.” The blush intensified at those words, and Yami ran his hand lightly through the younger teen's hair, watching the large amethyst eyes close in pleasure at the gesture.
 
“I'm glad you like how I look,” he said, smiling as Yugi shifted so that his head was now lying in Yami's lap. The elder teen rearranged himself so that he was sitting crosslegged, and he let his hands tangle in Yugi's hair, marvelling at how soft it was, and how so very like his own. He remembered the shock that had passed through him the first time he had seen how so very alike he and Yugi were, and he put their attraction down to the fact that because they were so alike, there had to be some attraction between them. And he had been proven right. In just the space of a few days, they had grown closer than he had thought they would, and while the word “love” was still very taboo, there was no escaping the fact, at least so far as Yami was concerned, that banning the use of the word didn't necessarily have to ban the emotion itself.
 
Still, whether or not there was love between them as yet - and considering the strong chemistry between them, it wouldn't have surprised Yami very much if love had really formed between them in such a short time - there was nevertheless a sense of strong affection between them. Not to mention the fact that they were very comfortable around each other, and didn't give a damn what anyone else thought. Yami smiled as he thought of the way Yugi had all but dragged him through the common room after they had visited Joey, and he treasured the memory of their trip into the city, the way Yugi had so eagerly taken his hand without any hesitation on his part whatsoever, the way the smaller teen had kissed him goodnight the night before without any reservation, the way they had looked into each other's eyes on the DDR pad this morning… so many small things, but all valuable proof that they had a growing closeness that couldn't be denied.
 
“Yami,” Yugi said, bringing him out of his reverie, and he smiled down at the smaller teen. “What is it?” he asked.
 
Yugi flushed a little. “Are you mad at me?” he asked plaintively, his eyes so large that it was impossible not to be moved. “I didn't mean to act like a kid when the thunderstorm started…” He trailed off, looking very uncomfortable.
 
Yami smiled at him again, smoothing his hair back. “No, I'm not mad at you,” he said warmly, brushing his fingers lightly over Yugi's face as he said this. “Why should I be mad?”
 
“Well,” Yugi said, flushing again, “I dunno. I just thought that you'd be annoyed with me `cause I acted so childish. I didn't want you thinking any less of me.” Tears welled up in his eyes as he said this, and Yami gently shifted him so that he was sitting in the older teen's lap, sobs racking his small frame. Yami held him close, rocking him back and forth, rubbing circles on his back and murmuring soothingly to him all the while, his chin resting on top of the younger teen's head. He was appalled, although not at Yugi. He had no idea the smaller teen was so insecure as to think that he would be thought less of for being scared of a storm. Yami certainly wasn't too fond of them himself, but for Yugi to think that HE would get mad at him… gods above, it was just absurd!
 
After a few moments, he became aware that the smaller teen was calming down, and he gently pulled back so he could look into Yugi's large, tear wet eyes. There were a few tears trickling down his cheeks, and Yami tenderly wiped them away. “No, I could never think less of you,” he said softly. “The last thing on earth I would ever want to do is hurt you. You don't ever have to hide anything from me. Remember that promise we made to each other on Thursday?”
 
Yugi nodded uncertainly, although his amethyst eyes were showing less fear and more contentment now, much to Yami's relief. He kissed the younger teen on the cheek and continued. “You and I promised each other we'd be completely open and honest, and we'd never hide anything. So don't think I'm going to let you hide anything from me, little one.” He put a smile into his voice as he said this last, and he was rewarded when Yugi giggled.
 
Yami sat back against the pillows, and Yugi shifted around so that he was sitting more comfortably in the elder teen's lap, his cheek resting against Yami's chest so he could hear his heartbeat next to his ear. Yami trailed his fingers lightly down Yugi's cheek, and the smaller teen nestled closer. “Thank you,” he said in a soft voice, and Yami smiled as he pressed a kiss to Yugi's hair. “Any time,” he said gently. “Besides, I'm not too fond of storms myself.”
 
Yugi giggled again and nestled even closer, closer than Yami would have believed he could nestle. He smiled and ran a hand through Yugi's hair again, feeling a small shiver of pleasure make its way down his spine when the smaller teen felt bold enough to put a hand inside his open shirt and rest his fingers lightly on the base of the elder teen's spine. When it became apparent that he would venture to do no more than that, Yami settled back, clasping his arms lightly around the other teen's slim frame. “You're a perfect little treasure,” he said softly, speaking almost as if to himself. “I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm very lucky we met.”
 
He felt Yugi smile against his chest. “I'm very glad we met too,” he said, his voice heavy with contentment and a happiness that knew no bounds. “I don't know what I would have done without you.”
 
Yami knew perfectly well what would have happened, but he said nothing of it. He didn't want to spoil the mood. Instead, he tightened his embrace, perfectly happy to enjoy some peaceful moments with the little treasure he had been so blessed to receive. He meant what he had said. He really did have no idea what he had done to deserve this gift of such purity and innocence, but he would guard it with every fibre of his being. He would never let any harm come to his sweet Yugi.
 
 
 
 
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