Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ I'll Be Home for Christmas ❯ Ten Lords A-Leaping ( Chapter 10 )

JG-chan: I'm so naughty, because I said I'd finish this fic, and here it is, nearly a year later, and I still haven't done it XD

 

Lori: Okay, you've pissed and moaned enough for me to get off my ass, so here it is. I hope you bloody well enjoy it because I had to squeeze every drop of inspiration out of my system to get this done! XD *glomps* Consider this a birthday present or something… <.< >.>

 

BlackGreyRoses: Hope you enjoy this one and sorry for the BLOODY LONG delay -_-

 

Velvetina: Thanks for your review, and I must say your work has potential. I've been reading it on aff.net ^^ Hope ya like this one!

DISCLAIMER: I own nada.

 

Warning(s): Cursing, blood.

 

 

Ten Lords A-Leaping

 

**~***~**

 

Jounouchi walked through the door of 801 Domino Heights one late Thursday night. Be as it may, he had gone to the bar downtown with Malik after work for a beer, you know, for a casual drink. The living room was dark and empty when he entered. Jou figured Ryou and Bakura must have gone to bed already, so he quietly flicked on the lamp and hung up his coat. On the coffee table, something caught his eye. It was an envelope with English writing on it that he didn't understand. Perhaps he would ask Ryou about it in the morning.

 

“What the hell are you doing home so late?”

 

Jou jumped up, startled, flicking his eyes to one tired and pissed Ryou, who was leaning against the doorframe of his room, arms crossed, glaring icily. Jou looked at his watch. Shit, he thought, it's later than I thought. “Sorry, I didn't think it was this late. I just went out with Malik for a bit after work, that's all.”

 

Ryou rolled his eyes in malevolent sarcasm. “Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? You didn't answer your cell phone, nor did you tell me you were going out!”

 

Jou took his cell phone out of his pocket, only to find the battery had died long since. “Today really isn't my day.” He muttered, heading toward the direction of his bedroom.

 

“Don't you give a damn how I felt tonight? Sitting up til at least midnight waiting for you to get home?! I was going to send Bakura out to look for you!” Ryou shrieked.

 

Jou stared at Ryou in disbelief at this little outburst. “Ry… I didn't know I was gonna go out tonight, alright? I'm nearly eighteen damn years old, Ryou! For fuck's sake, you're so paranoid sometimes! Just go back to bed.”

 

The moment Jou saw Ryou's bottom lip start to tremble, he regretted everything that had just come out of his mouth. Bakura was going to kill him for this. “Fucking hell… I'm sorry, Ryou, I'm sorry.” He said. “Come here,”

 

Ryou, now obviously sobbing, cried hard into Jou's chest. Jou wrapped his muscular arms around the fragile boy's shoulders. “I was just worried… You're not like Bakura; with him I can just use our link. The only link I've got with you is your cell phone. You know what I'm like.” Ryou laughed a little through the tears.

 

“Yeah,” Jou murmured. “I'm sorry I yelled at you. I didn't mean it…”

 

“I'm sorry too.”

 

It was almost half past two in the morning when Jou finally climbed into bed. Thursday night was late night at the mall where he worked, so he worked the later shift, finishing at around ten. He had gone home with Malik for a while before going to the bar, leaving at around 1.30 am. He desperately needed to sleep, but lay awake next to Ryou for some time, staring at the ceiling. Guilt loomed over him like a heavy black rain cloud. These trivial arguments with Ryou were becoming more frequent, he noticed. He would dare not yell at Bakura like he had at Ryou tonight, but he could only take so much.

 

He knew Ryou meant well. Everyone that ever cared for him was only trying to help, but it only got on Jou's nerves. He didn't know what he wanted - living with his father who didn't give a damn was hell, but living with Ryou who cared too much was starting to press his patience. He needed a balance. Living alone could give him that, but it was also what he feared most. Nobody else would take him in. Living with his mother and Shizuka was out of the question, as was going back to live with Taro.

 

I have to stay here, Jou thought, wondering why that didn't sound like what he wanted. He should be happy here. Ryou had been so good to him so far. It sure beat living with anyone else. He would have to depend on Ryou and Bakura until he got a better job… or got a pay rise, at least. He decided not to think about it for now, let his eyes slide shut, and slept.

 

**~***~**

 

When Jou walked into the lounge the following morning, Ryou was filling something out up at the breakfast bar. Jou ran a hand through his knotty flaxen hair and walked up to him. “Whatcha doing?”

 

Ryou jumped like he had just gone into cardiac arrest. “I'm filling out another application form.”

 

“For…more universities?” Jou asked, knowing the answer already.

 

“Yeah…Oxford, actually.” Ryou replied.

 

“Where?”

 

“Oxford University, Jou. It's in England…”

 

It took a few moments for Jounouchi to register this. An overwhelming feeling of dread suddenly gorged in his veins. “England…? You're going back to England?”

 

“I was going to tell you. I mean, at this stage I don't even know if I'll get in, yet.” Jou could tell Ryou was feeling guilty for not telling him about this, but the anger building inside him was about to conquer any sympathy he now felt.

 

“And when did you plan on telling me about this?” Jou asked, standing up from this seat. “You weren't going to ask me first?”

 

Ryou recoiled under Jou's towering frame above him. “I thought you would be excited, Jou. You can come with me!”

 

Jou's blood was boiling. “What the fuck am I going to do in fucking England, Ryou? You're the one with the potential here, not me!”

 

“You can find a job, Jou! We can start over…make a new life together.”

 

“I think you're being a little idealistic here, Ryou.” Jou retorted. “I don't speak English, for one. Two, I don't have the money to move to the other side of the world and three, my friends and family is here. My life is here. It might not be for you, Ryou, but it is for me.”

 

“But Jou…” Ryou said, his voice raspy and high-pitched. “What will I do without you? I want you with me… You have no idea how long I've dreamed of going to Oxford University… it's such a big achievement.”

 

“Like I said, you're being unrealistic. You might have the money to get there and set yourself up and get through college, but what about me? You think I can just pull the cash out my ass? Think again.” Jou muttered dourly and made his way across the living room toward the bathroom.

 

“Jou… won't you even consider it?” Ryou asked, following him.

 

Jou dropped his shoulders in defeat and rolled his eyes. “Ryou! Listen to me!” he shrieked, turning around and grabbing him by the shoulders, shaking him. “I barely make ends meet living in Japan, let alone England! It's impossible, alright! You picked the wrong guy.” The blond sighed heavily and continued on his way to the bathroom.

 

“You little son of a bitch.”

 

A chill ran down Jou's spine. Hesitantly, he turned around and faced Bakura standing before him, four inches taller than Ryou and about a hundred times more intimidating. “What?” Jou asked.

 

“How dare you speak to him like that?” Bakura hissed as he strode confidently up to Jounouchi. “You have no idea how excited he is about this, and what do you do? You go and piss all over him.”

 

Jou glared at Bakura standing over him. Damn that spirit and his height. “Bakura, he's being ridiculous!”

 

“Maybe, but that gives you no right to yell at him, or touch him like that!” Bakura roared and grabbed Jou by his t-shirt, ramming him against the wall. “Do me a favour,” he whispered, “Keep your fucking hands off of him from now on, before I skin you alive, you little cunt.”

 

Horrified, Jou was released, staring up at Bakura's glowing crimson eyes. His heart thudded loudly in his ears as he watched the seething spirit continue to glare at him, and before he knew it, Bakura had slugged him solidly in the nose and he slumped to the ground, blood gushing all over the spotless fawn carpet.

 

“Piece of shit.” Bakura muttered before booting Jounouchi in the ribs and stalking off.

 

**~***~**

 

“Is Malik there?”

 

[May I ask who is calling?] Isis asked.

 

“Jou.”

 

[Just a moment.]

 

Jou waited for a few moments until Malik was given the phone. [Hello?]

 

“Hey, Malik. It's Jou.”

 

[Hey, man. Is everything okay?]

 

“Yeah… well… not really.” He laughed.

 

[Where are you? What happened?]

 

“I'm at a payphone.”

 

[Which one? I'll come and get you.]

 

“I'm on the east side of Kaede Park. Bring the car, not your motorbike. You'll see why when you get here.”

 

[Alright, don't move. I'll see you in a few.]

 

“Arigatou,” Jou hung up the phone and lingered over to a park bench.

 

Sitting down, he lit up a cigarette and leant his head back on the bench. What am I doing in this world? He asked himself. Everything I ever do is promised to backfire. I should have known Ryou would want to go home at some point in time. I should have thought of that before I got so involved with him… I'm such an idiot. Now I've broken his heart and Bakura hates my guts…

 

“Jounouchi?!”

 

Jou nearly dropped his cigarette as he heard a car screech up next to the pavement. Malik scrambled out of his car and over to Jou. “What…happened to you?” He asked with lavender eyes the size of saucers.

 

Jou looked at him through his squinted, swollen eyes. “Put it this way… I don't think I'm welcome at Ryou's anymore.”

 

Malik opened the passenger's side door of Rishid's car for Jou and helped him in. Jumping behind the wheel himself, he said, “Is it broken? Do I need to take you to the hospital?”

 

“I've had a broken nose before, Mak. It's okay; I reset it myself.” Jou replied, dragging on his cigarette.

 

Malik winced. “Who did it?”

 

“Bakura.”

 

Malik shook his head and shoved the car into gear, taking off. “We'll go back to my house and get you cleaned up, okay? If you need to you can stay with me.”

 

“Thanks, but it won't be necessary.”

 

“Why? Where else are you going to go, Jou?” Malik asked. “You're kidding yourself if you think you're going back to your Dad.”

 

“What makes you say that?” Jou asked, mentally cursing himself because that's exactly what he had had in mind.

 

“Because I won't fucking let you go back to that bastard!”

 

Jou had to laugh. Of all his friends, Malik had to be the most protective, in a weird and ironic way. He would be the last person you'd expect to give a shit about anyone else but himself. Jou realised in this moment that Malik was possibly one of the best friends he had. The reason he called was really just to say that he wouldn't be making it into work today; he didn't think about actually seeing Malik at all. Now that he thought about it, it was nice to know that someone cared as much as he did.

 

Malik pulled up outside his house and rolled up the driveway. Jou knew it was no lie that the Ishtars were filthy rich. After Malik and Isis's parents died, they inherited their riches and split them evenly between themselves and Rishid. In coming to Japan, they had been able to afford buying a beautiful home on a rise above the city surrounded by sakura and maple trees. Jounouchi envied the Egyptian youth, but despite it all, he still loved coming here.

 

“Sit down, man. Would you like a coffee or anything?”

 

“Yeah, thanks, Mak.”

 

Malik whipped up two coffees in the kitchen and returned to the living room, setting down their drinks on the glass coffee table and making himself comfortable in a plush suede recliner. “So, how did it all start?”

 

Jou sipped his coffee. It was a little sweeter than he might have liked. “To put it bluntly? Ryou might be moving back to England.”

 

Malik seemed taken aback. “And this made you end up with a broken nose… how?”

 

“Because he wants me to go with him, and I said that it was impossible and that he was being stupid because it would never happen. I don't know what happened after that… I guess I lost my temper with him. Apparently that rubbed Bakura up the wrong way, therefore he basically gave me a hiding.”

 

Malik sighed. “Yeah… you don't wanna get on the wrong side of that maniac, trust me.”

 

“And you're telling me this now.” Jou scoffed, rolling his eyes heavenward.

 

“Sorry,” Malik smiled. “So are you and Ryou still on together or…?”

 

“Don't know,” Jou replied. “Bakura doesn't want me there anymore, that much is clear.”

 

Malik finished down his coffee and stood up. “Well, it's nearly lunch time. How about I go and pick up some of your stuff and have a chat to Ryou while I'm there, and bring something for us to eat on the way back?”

 

“Do what you like, I'm not going anywhere.” Jou replied lazily, starting to feel lethargic.

 

Malik chuckled. “Alright. You can go and have a lie down in my room for a while if you want. I won't be too long.”

 

Jou got up and walked with Malik to the door. “Thanks, Mak. I will make this up to you, some day.” He said, curling his arms around the exotic boy's lithe, tanned body.

 

“No problem, Jou.” Malik replied with a gleaming smile, lavender eyes radiant and sparkling.

 

Jou tried his best to smile as he watched the attractive male youth jump in his car and drive off again. Sighing, he made his way up to Malik's room and took off his gear, sliding under the fine linen sheets. This has been the most fucked up day ever… he thought numbly. First I find out Ryou's been applying for universities in England, then we fight - nothing new - and Bakura beats the shit out of me, followed by me calling Malik of all people for help… and here I am, in his bed with a fucking sore head! Kami, it just keeps getting better and better…

 

Jounouchi was starting to drift off when a creak at the door stirred him. There to his horror, stood Yami Marik. Oh, shit.

 

*~***~*

+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+|+ ~TBC

 

JG-chan: Holy shite! Another chapter done. I can't believe I actually have the sound mind to complete this o_O