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Joey	By : AlectoPerdita Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2971 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and characters are the intellectual property of Takahashi Kazuki, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. No money is made from this fan effort.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Joey
By Alecto Perdita
Track 9 - If Only She Knew
Rating: PG-13
Posted: July 15, 2010
Warning(s): Shonen-ai, cheesy melodrama, & Kaijou
Email: alecto . perdita (at) gmail . com
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the intellectual property of Takahashi Kazuki, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to Takahashi Kazuki are the intellectual property of Alecto Perdita.
I try to help you out through the hardest of times
Your heart is in your throat and I'm speaking my mind
Though it looks as if it's over
I'm still not over you
- "If Only She Knew" by Michelle Branch
It had been five months since any of us saw Kaiba without the aid of a television, newspaper, or the internet. At first, I didn't particularly think much of Kaiba or his absence. I had other things to worry about, like keeping Honda and Otogi from taking advantage of my sister. Then Otogi left the month after Battle City to resume his own business in the United States.
Those intervening months had been quiet, almost too quiet. It was beginning to drive me nuts and my skin began crawling just days before Yugi's God Cards were stolen. So when Duel Monsters started appearing in the skies all over the world, I was both worried and excited.
I regretted those feelings now. Was this situation with Mai now God's way of punishing me for that?
I licked my chapped lips. The air inside the Seal was stale and oppressive. I could feel the magic physically pressing into me, weighting down my shoulders and dulling my senses.
Mai hugged her arms around herself as her lifepoints dropped to mere 450. She was shaking, nothing like the confident woman that left us after Battle City. "No, I need to win. I can't lose!"
I couldn't understand what had happened to her. But if the only way to wake her up out of this brainwashing or whatever, I would defeat her. Maybe then I could finally reach through to her... Her side of the field was empty... I hesitated though as Mai continued to mumble to herself. I had seen the power of this Seal before and her soul would be forfeit if I defeat her. But I had been entrusted with Helmos' power. I had been chosen to help Yugi and Yami save the world...
"Gigacyber, attack Ma-"
"No, Mai!" Suddenly, one of the two men that had been watching the duel from the balcony over us jumped off. He raised his fist to the air and the stone on his ring began glowing as he cried, "Seal of the Orichalcos, release!"
The air filled with a sickly green light as I felt the magic around me expand, collapse, and finally shatter. A burst of powerful wind knocked me off my feet and the breath out of my chest. It felt like a 800-pound gorilla had just slammed me into the tile floor. Behind me, I could hear the sound of the shutters moving and the sound of something else louder- almost like the sound of a jet engine.
When the smoke finally cleared, I ignored the pain jolting through my shoulder to struggle into a sitting position. Both of the men were on the same floor as us, the brown-haired one who had jumped was tightly clutching onto an unconscious Mai.
"Jounouchi?" Honda called from behind me.
Taking my eyes off the three in front of me, I turned to reassure my friend. "I'm fine-"
I guess I should have known he would turn up sooner or later, he always did in these sorts of situations. Yet when I saw his news conference on TV just yesterday, I hadn't imagine I would see him so soon after five months apart.
"Nameless Pharaoh," the blond biker was speaking now and pointing at Yami. "Next time, I will take your soul." The stone on his chain cast the room in the same sickly green and then they were gone.
"No, Mai!" I jumped to my feet. "Damn it!"
I immediately regretted the sudden move. No longer running on just pure adrenaline, a wave of weakness and nausea sent me staggering back on my feet. Two pairs of hands caught me, one steadying me against my back and the other holding me up by my right arm. I inadvertently yelped as another shot of pain shot through my arm.
"What's wrong, Jounouchi?" Honda asked from behind me.
Kaiba moved in front of me, never letting go of my arm. He was wearing a different coat than the one he wore during Battle City. It was long-sleeved and a deep purple, and similarly lined with studs. It was not nearly as impressive. Unable to keep my mouth shut, I spoke up. "I like the white one better."
He only lifted my hand in response.
"Fuck!" I hissed. "Watch it, you bastard."
"You dislocated your shoulder." He glared at me with his piercing blue eye and made no attempt to hide the annoyance from his face.
"Well, no shit." It was not my first time after all.
Mokuba, Anzu, Yami, and Otogi crowded around us. I did feel bad for always making them worry.
"We should get you to a hospital." Anzu looked over to Otogi for guidance.
"No need," Kaiba barked. "We don't have time for detours."
"Hey, my well-being is not a detour." I protested.
He glared at me in return. "Only when you stop recklessly throwing yourself into danger. Now shut up and hold still while I fix this."
We all watched in silence as Kaiba worked. His touch was surprisingly gentle as he bent my arm at the elbow and pushed it in toward my chest. One of Kaiba's hand gripped the wrist of my hand, guiding it to form a fist and steadying my entire arm in that L-shape. The other rested on my injured shoulder as he slowly rotated my arm back and forth (1). There was no pain but a distinct pop in my joints after the third time, followed by immediate relief.
I quickly removed my arm from his hands and experimentally stretched it. "Wow, I didn't know you could do that."
He eyed me with the same critical expression that he often used early in his duels with Yami. "You should take it lightly, ideally make a sling for your arm."
I made a face. The last thing I wanted to do was look weak in front of our new enemy. "No worries, this is what? The fourth time that shoulder was dislocated?" I looked to Honda for confirmation and he just rolled his eyes.
"Fine, see if I care if you break it. Now where's Pegasus?" Kaiba snapped impatiently at Yami.
The other duelist shook his head. "Pegasus is already gone. Mai had already gotten to him by the time we got here."
The brunette made some noise deep in his throat that sounded like a snarl. "Doma is another step ahead of us then."
Yami drew the top card of his Duel Disk deck, holding it aloft for everyone to see. "Kaiba, we'll have to stand together in the coming battle. You have one of the Dragon cards too, like my Eye of Timaeus."
He and I drew the top card of our decks simultaneously. He flipped it over for us to see. "The Fang of Critias!"
"And my Claw of Hermos." I finished, still in disbelief that I had been chosen alongside Yugi.
Light spilled forth from the three cards in our hands. A pulse of energy rushed up my arm, chasing away the last of the fatigue from the Seal and my injury. From the surprised look on Yami's face and the less than completely stoic one on Kaiba's, both duelist had felt something similar.
"That was something new." Yugi had taken control of his body again.
Even as we made our way to Pegasus' locked room, I could feel the presence of the other two dragons sitting in the back of my mind. And if I concentrated just hard enough, I could feel Kaiba no matter the distance between us. These two little facts helped to make the events of the coming days a little easier to bear.
...
Soon after Kaiba's admission, they were drawn back into the living room with the rest of the party attendees. Everyone surrounded the expectant couple and the air was full of cheer. Jounouchi couldn't help but peek at the CEO out of the corner of his eyes. Kaiba hadn't strayed far from his side. In fact, the CEO was leaning against the arm of the couch Jounouchi was seated in, not close enough to touch but close enough to feel the heat radiating from the other body.
Rebecca stood up in the middle of the living room and clapped. "I'd like to thank everyone for coming today and showing their support to the couple of the hour, Mutou Yugi and Anzu-san."
Yugi reached over to take his wife's hand and some of the women in the room cooed in response.
The younger blond woman continued with her beaming smile. "Traditionally at baby showers, the expectant mother is supposed to receive advice from other mothers, but that hardly seems appropriate with all the onee-sans in the room. So instead, I've prepared some games for us."
Yugi's eyes immediately lit up at the mention of games. Anzu ribbed him lightly.
Rebecca pulled out a giant board from behind the couch. On the board, there was a calendar grid for the next two weeks. "So first up is 'guess the birthday' and time of birth if you're especially ballsy."
"Boring," Malik intoned. "Do we get anything if we guess right?"
Ryou shot his boyfriend a fierce glare.
"Excellent question, Malik. In fact, the winner will receive a year-long pass to KaibaLand." The blond announced.
This time Kaiba spoke up. "And for those of us already in the employ of Kaiba Corporation?"
Rebecca smirked. "I guess you'll have to settle for satisfaction of being right or something interesting of your own making."
"Good enough for me!" Malik sprung forward in his seat. "I call next Thursday and I raise your season pass with a dinner reservation for two at Le Chateau."
Honda rolled his eyes. "This isn't poker."
"And that's our anniversary dinner reservation!" Bakura snapped indignantly.
Jounouchi laughed. "Lighten up, Bakura, it's all in good fun. I say the baby's coming on the 25th in the middle of the night. And...I'll add the winner's name to the VIP list of the Tokyo premiere of the movie."
One of the other partygoers leaned over the couch and asked, "Do you come as part of the package?"
"I could make an exception for you." He winked at the woman. She giggled in return with a flushed face.
Kaiba crept closer with one hand just barely grazing Jounouchi's arm. He tried his best to hide the shiver that ran down his spine. Rebecca was jotting down names on the grid as other partygoers gave their own predictions. Yugi was staring at the board with a ponderous expression and glassy eyes. Jounouchi could tell his friend was mentally consulting with the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle.
The spirit of the Puzzle, having taken control of Yugi's body, smirked at Kaiba besides me before announcing with absolute confidence, "It'll be next Wednesday."
"Hey, you're not allowed to bet, Pharaoh. How are we supposed to know if you cheat or induce labor early or something?" Malik protested.
"You insult me to imply that I, of all people, would cheat." Yami glared.
"I wasn't implying, I was saying out right. Back me up here, Kaiba."
"Ishtar does have a point." Kaiba drawled, looking as if he was immensely enjoying Yami's outrage.
Anzu just rolled her eyes as the three men devolved into squabbles much to the amusement of everyone else. "I swear boys never grow up."
Jounouchi just settled back and allowed the warmth of the scene and Kaiba's nearby body put him at ease. Peeking at the other man out of the corner of his eyes, he wondered how their relationship was going to proceed.
...
Sophie growled as she wrenched open the door of the 2001 Toyota Camry. Locking the doors behind her quickly, she dug out her pack of cigarettes crushed under the glock pistol she now carried everywhere in her purse. She inhaled the tobacco, letting the familiar burning sensation calm her. She frowned as she watched the neighborhood outside of the car. It reminded her too much of her own life growing up in Oakland (2).
She fished the notepad out of her jacket pocket and crossed out a name on her long list of suspects. Her pen moved with her as she reviewed her findings thus far. Both Dinosaur Ryuusaki and Insector Haga have been away from Japan the last two months on tour in the European Duel Monsters circuit. Bandit Keith had dropped out of the public eye after Duelist Kingdom years ago. She doubted he would have remained in Japan any way. Then she came to the latest name she had just crossed off her list: Hirutani. Hirutani had been arrested and convicted of armed robbery the previous year and was still serving out his sentence.
The leader of Jounouchi's former gang had been her prime suspect, if only because she couldn't determine anyone with a larger grudge against her Katsuya. But the search had led to another dead end and she was no closer to finding the person sending the daily threats.
The problem with celebrity stalkers was you often never know if they're a legitimate threat until it was too late. This was no ordinary run-of-the-mill stalker and she had seen quite a few harass other clients in the past. No, most stalkers took pride in signing their names, taking every opportunity to let their admired ones know exactly who they were. These death threats were meant to terrorize, not monopolize. There was a high probability that the person wasn't even on her current list. Katsuya was a public figure and there were a lot of deranged people in the world that could easily develop delusions of love or grandeur. But she couldn't sit around and do nothing. It would drive her crazy. She certainly didn't trust the system or the police to handle this. Kaiba could be a useful resource, but she doubted even he could do much without further evidence.
Sighing, she keyed the ignition of the rental. It was time to get moving again. There were still a lot of names on her list to cover...
...
About an hour later, Rebecca whipped out the beer and other fruity girl drinks. Jounouchi stepped out onto the large balcony with two bottles of beer in hand. He had seen Kaiba come out here about ten minutes ago. The other man was lounging on one of the deck chairs set up on the patio with his suit jacket hanging on the chair back. Light from the setting sun illuminated the chestnut hair as if on fire.
He sat down in the deck chair next to Kaiba's and silently offered the man a bottle. Kaiba took the beer without a word- their fingers brushing against each other's ever so slightly.
"This place has a pretty sweet view. I wonder how Rebecca got this place." Jounouchi mused out loud.
Kaiba turned and placed the unopened bottle on the table between them. "This is one of Kaiba Corp's corporate apartments. We use it to house visiting executives and other business partners. Rebecca thought the mansion was too intimidating for a baby shower."
He nodded and placed his own bottle on the table. "You're surprisingly nice to her, you know? It's just kind of unexpected."
Kaiba turned his head to glare at him. "And what's wrong with that? She's smart and far more competent than half the people in my employ. And she's practically family."
They sat together in silence for a few minutes while watching the sun set. He had forgotten how beautiful the sunset over Domino piers could be. It reminded him of the last day of Battle City. When they had landed on the pier that evening, they had been immediately surrounded by reporters and EMT workers. Yet Jounouchi, with yet another duel lost to Kaiba under his belt, found that the sunset provided all the solace he needed then.
Kaiba and he had a tumultuous relationship from the very start. From the first time Kaiba had been introduced to the class during freshman year to the first time they had actually exchanged words in Yugi's game shop, their relationship was defined by discord. Even if the CEO had never really considered him a real opponent in card games or wits, Jounouchi couldn't take his eyes off the other boy- not when he was constantly throwing himself into the path of direct confrontation with Yami.
The clashes in personality that had once left bruised egos and real bruises in their wake gave way to these little battles for control over a situation, over having said the wrong thing...
He wished he suddenly was thinking about the logistics of a relationship that was not yet. Wanting someone was simple enough, but the how, why, and when were not so much...
"Kaiba, about our...situation." Jounouchi began.
The other man interrupted him first. "Jounouchi, you should know right off the bat that I don't do flings or one-night stands." The CEO piercing gaze pinned him back against the deck chair.
"You mean you've been with other people?" He wasn't sure if he should feel glad or offended that there had been others in Kaiba Seto's life before him. At least one of them would know what to do... Maybe one day, he would ask about these people before him, but not now.
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "I may have some trust issues, but I'm not an ascetic monk. And you?"
He didn't like to think about his own pathetic lack of a love life in the last decade. The handfuls of date he had gone on never panned out. The girls and women he went out with never seemed to mesh with his personality or lifestyle. Instead, he just shrugged and tried to appear nonchalant, "Sophie says I'm too picky."
"You're not exactly what I would consider the arbiter of good taste." There was a smirk on the other man's face, but the tone of his voice was more teasing.
Jounouchi felt a lot more relaxed after Kaiba fired off the opening salvo. "Hey, I have a well-defined palate, you know, for things like a good hamburger, limited edition Converse sneakers, and cranky CEOs of multi-million dollar gaming companies."
Kaiba grew quiet at his comment.
He tried to not let the silence deter him too much. "So is flirting out of the question then?"
"At least not in public, you're anything but subtle."
"How about hand holding then? Probably not. I feel kinda sorry for all your ex's. I just can't imagine you sending flowers or birthday cards or setting up candlelit dinners. The thought of you doing something romantic and mushy is just scary." Jounouchi faked a shiver. "I'm guessing you also don't do romantic walks on the beach, getting caught in the rain, or cuddling in front of a fire with marshmallow smores." He chuckled to himself.
Kaiba had fallen silent again, but it wasn't the same contemplative quiet as before. All the humor had fled his face, leaving Jounouchi to wonder if he had gone too far.
"This isn't a joke to me. I'm not putting myself on the line for your whim." Kaiba began to rise from his seat.
Jounouchi panicked. Running off his mouth had gotten him in trouble once again. Sophie's voice in his head immediately began berating his stupidity. He grabbed the other man's hand before Kaiba could put some distance between them. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trivialize the situation or your feelings. I'm just feeling nervous. I've never even been in a proper relationship, much less one with another man. So please can you cut me some slack or else I'll just keep running my mouth off like a jackass and sabotaging any chance we have because I'm a fucking moron-"
"Jounouchi," Kaiba butted into his rant. "It's clear that you still have your doubts...but I may have been a bit hasty."
He gave an hysterical laugh- it was either that or punch something/someone in frustration. "It took us 12 years to get to this point. I don't think even a pair of sloths could have been slower."
"Blame yourself for being AWOL for 95 percent of that time then." The brunet snapped.
"Is it always going to be like this between us? The fighting and the snide remarks?"
"We're not sixteen anymore, Jounouchi. You have to have faith that we're not going to be like that anymore. But you have to earn my trust just as you would for anyone else. Despite what some of my competitors may say, I am not a machine."
It seemed almost absurd that in his own way, Kaiba Seto was more emotionally mature than Jounouchi. What didn't surprise him was he himself was still the bumbling idiot of the pair.
Kaiba was staring very intensely at something behind Jounouchi- something in the apartment. Before Jounouchi could turn to investigate, the other man leaned forward until his lips were hovering next to Jounouchi's ear. "You should also know that I don't share. We'll talk again when you've dropped the dead weight."
Kaiba straightened up and moved back toward the apartment. Looking over at the party inside, he realized whom this dead weight Kaiba referred to was.
...
Mai had never been a particularly good sport: she was always tempted to gloat her own victories and losing was always out of the question. She wasn't proud of what she did in the past to secure her victories, cheating the least of all. She wasn't much of a team player either. Perhaps that was why Yugi, Jounouchi, and their group had put her so ill at ease when she met them.
It felt strange to be coming full circle to the group that had defined many aspects of her own young adult years. Yugi and Anzu were having their first child. Not-so-little Shizuka had her own career and was engaged.
"Oh, it's you." A youthful face crowned by springy blond locks scowled as soon as Mai walked in through the apartment door. "I thought you weren't coming."
Mai tried hard to remember who this young woman that spoke Japanese with the slightest hint of an accent was. "We were able to sort it out. Excuse me, but I don't think we've met before."
The young woman stuck her petite nose in the air and gave Mai a cursory glance over the rim of her glasses. "Rebecca Hopkins."
"Oh, Kaiba Mokuba's girlfriend. I'm Kujak-"
"Yes, yes, I know who you are, Kujaku Mai-san. Just know that the only reason you were even invited was because of Shizuka."
The haughty tone and gaze was enough to make Mai reach out and slap the brat silly. She didn't know what she had done to offend Rebecca Hopkins, but she could guess it might have something to do with either Kaiba Seto or Mokuba.
She was fortunately save from having to interact with the other blond further by the appearance of Mutou Yugi. "Rebecca, that's no way to treat your guests."
"But Yami..." Rebecca whined, suddenly sounding more fourteen than twenty-four.
"Anzu was hoping you could magic up a virgin strawberry daiquiri for her." Yugi reached over and patted the younger woman on the head.
With one last glare over her shoulders, Rebecca marched off into the next room with her nose high in the air. Mai took the chance to study Yugi. She had noticed him at the store opening, but hadn't the chance to talk with the Duel King yet. Even after all these years, he was still wearing the Millennium Puzzle around his neck and his taste in fashion was a bit more on the conventional side. The overwhelming sense of power and sharp blood-red eyes, however, had not changed.
"Congratulations on the kid." She smiled as she offered the present in her hands.
Yugi looked a bit lost when he finally took the brightly wrapped gift. "Thank you, Mai. I heard Kaiba gave you some trouble."
"Let's just say Kaiba has a weird sense of humor."
Yugi raised a skeptical eyebrow. "That's news to me. I wasn't aware he had any."
She laughed.
"But Mai, I need to know what your intentions are." Yugi's gaze was measured and unrelenting.
"You should probably ask Kaiba first." Mai glared and raised a perfectly manicures finger to point at the two men who appeared to be arguing on the balcony.
Yugi turned his head in the direction of her pointing. "I have a better sense of who Kaiba Seto is as a person. I really don't know you all that well, Mai."
She sighed. Yugi had seen the best and worst (mostly worst) of her personality; she shouldn't be surprised that Yugi may doubt her. After everything she had done, maybe she would be inclined to give herself a second harder look as well. "My feelings for Jounouchi have always been genuine, whether it's back then or now. I don't have to justify that to you or anyone else, Yugi."
"I just wished the two of you didn't treat this as some sort of competition. It's not a question of who likes whom more," Yugi shook his head as Kaiba approached them. "Don't forget this is Jounouchi's life."
...
Jounouchi sighed and leaned back into the car seat. He was mentally and physically exhausted from his long day. Sophie, having shown up an hour after his initial call, was busy rambling off his schedule for the next two weeks. It had taken some nagging, but she had managed to convince the producers to let him hang around until the the birth of Yugi and Anzu's child. But there was a lot to do once he returned to the US: press junkets and interviews, auditions, and script readings. And he would have to work double time to catch up with his co-stars.
"Katsuya, you really need to start looking through those scripts I gave you. I know things have been a little hectic, but these directors are waiting for your reply. I still have to arrange for your talent agency to give official replies after you've made your decision. If you don't start soon, I will tie you to a chair and you will do nothing but read scripts until Yugi's kid pops out." She scowled at the road ahead of her.
He sighed again. There was almost no talking to her when she was in this foul of a mood. "Do I finally get a vacation when I'm dead?"
The entire car gave a lurch as she suddenly sped up. He yelped as he slammed back into the seat, courtesy of his seatbelt. "Oh God, Sophie, please slow down. And I think you just passed the hotel."
"We are staying at a different one now. I had our stuff sent over earlier this afternoon." She turned her head to glare at him. "And if I hear you joke like that again, I will personally hang you by your entrails."
"It doesn't make a lot of sense to threaten me with death to make me not talk about it!"
As they sped recklessly down the road, he muttered a silent prayer that he may survive Sophie's psychotic driving habits and live long enough to actually have that second conversation with Kaiba.
...
Shizuka bade Yugi farewell after he had dropped her off a block away from her mother's apartment building. She was feeling particularly accomplished after a day of helping Anzu sort through the gifts from the baby shower and put the finishing design touches on the nursery. The older woman, though slightly more cranky than usual as she got closer to her due date, was always a welcomed distraction from the other things going on in her life. She pulled out her cellphone to find that she had a text message from Honda. She smiled a little to herself. Maybe she would call him tonight.
The spring evening was brisk but chilly. She pulled her jacket closer around her shoulders and began the short walk to her mother's apartment- the same one they had moved into when they first came to Domino. The street was strangely deserted at the hour of the day, but it was close to dinnertime for most people. The hair on the back of her neck stood when her keen ears detected another set of footsteps falling into sync behind her. Her heart began racing and she picked up her pace, running toward the apartment building down the street. The person behind her followed, quickly closing the distance between them.
"Shizuka, wait!" The words came as a hand fell on her shoulder.
She barely managed to stifle the scream on her tongue. Whirling around, she panted, "Otou-san, don't scare me like that!"
Jounouchi Tanaka gave her a slight grin and she felt her insides recoil in horror. "I would have gone up to the apartment, but I wasn't sure if your mother was home. It would be easier if you just gave me your phone number."
She leaned back against the wall of a nearby building to catch her breath. "Lucky for you, Okaa-san went to Tokyo to visit some friends."
"May I come up?"
She hesitated for the briefest moment before fiercely squashing down her doubt. Shizuka nodded in agreement. They spent the last leg of the journey in an awkward silence. She never was very good at starting the conversation with her estranged father; she was far more comfortable answering his questions instead. When they got up to the apartment, she had him wait at the door to make sure her mother was indeed gone. Neither her mother or her brother would have approved of her seeing her father again.
"Would you like some tea?"
The man just nodded and quickly sat himself at the dining room table.
In the kitchen, she took the opportunity to calm her raging heart. She berated her initial paranoia. In the last month that she had begun communicating with her father again, he had yet to give her a legitimate reason to fear him. He had been very open about meeting her in public to catch up on her life and the news of her brother's. For all intents and purposes, her father appeared to have gone straight after his release from prison a year and a half ago. His apology had been sincere, and she could understand his hesitation with seeing Katsuya or their mother just yet.
"I don't know if there's any way on earth to really apologize for what I did. I was a monster." He had said to her.
Shizuka wanted to give him this chance. After all, the law and his sentence was meant to rehabilitate and give him another chance. With two cups of hot green tea in hand, she emerged from the kitchen to find that her father was no longer at the table.
"Otou-san?"
Small clicking noises came from the living room instead. She hastily crossed the span of the apartment to find her father hovering over her laptop computer in the living room. She couldn't really see what he was looking at from the distance, but it looked like email.
"Otou-san, what are you doing?"
The older man gave a start when he finally heard her. He closed his browsing window and closed the lid of the laptop. "I'm sorry, Shizuka. I hope you don't mind, I wanted to check my mail to see if any of those job applications called back."
She handed him the cup of green tea and sat down on the armchair across from him. "No problem at all, Otou-san. Just say so next time."
A toothy grin overtook his lips as he relaxed into the sofa. "So tell me, how's Katsuya been doing?"
Once again, she fought the suspicion rising in her chest and scolded herself for her cynicism.
...To Be Continued...
Why are we afraid to be in love?
To be loved
I can't explain it
I know it's tough to be loved
- "I'd Rather Be In Love" by Michelle Branch
(1) See www . wikihow . com / Fix-a-Dislocated-Shoulder for picture reference of what Kaiba is doing in this scene.
(2) Oakland, California specifically. That may give you a bit of an idea of what her background is like. A large part of the reason why Sophia is handling the issue with the death threats alone is because of her deep mistrust in the police and people in positions of traditional authority.
This chapter, admittedly, seems to stagnate a bit. Lol, adults and their actually talking about relationships before jumping in! We're just lame like that... Quite a bit is meant as setup for events in the next chapter. This one may be more thoroughly revised once I can figure and work out those kinks. But I wanted to get it out because I might not do so at all until I finally tire of TF2. Please forgive me! I promise the next chapter will be tons better!
Just to make things a more fun for everyone: If someone can accurately guess what canon event I have written about for the flashback in the next chapter, I will write a drabble of at least 100 words of your request. I do have the scene written already, so I swear I will not cheat to get out of work. xD
Special thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter and I hope this isn't too horribly disappointing.
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Joey