Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL 1. 99 losses and 1 win

_Title: 99 losses and 1 win.  
_Summary: Yuma tries to confess to Ryoga but fails horribly several times. Well, 'kattobingu', right?  
Rated: T

* * *

"Yuma, it will not work."

"Trust me! It will!"

Astral sighed and returned to the emperor's key. He tried to warn Yuma but it seemed like the boy was absolutely set on this. There was nothing that could waver his determination or make him think differently. Yuma and his friends were currently swimming in the school's pool, just talking and enjoying themselves, while Yuma was busy planning other things. There was something he intended to do long ago, and that was to make a confession. If there was one thing he knew nothing about, it was love, but even he knew that one had to express their feelings in order for them to be heard. He glanced over to the other side of the pool, where Ryoga was speaking with some of his classmates. It was a rare occurrence since he usually does not talk to anyone besides Yuma, and his friends. Once those people were gone, Yuma decided to walk over to him. It had been quite a while since they got to spend some time alone. However, this did not stop him from trying. Ryoga would usually dismiss him, and tell him he had no time, but eventually, he gave in to the temptation.

Yuma had been trying to confess his feeling towards Ryoga, but something always came in the way. The reason Astral was so cautious and told him to stay back was because all other attempts ended in failure. He would not know how to word things, or a third party would disrupt the rhythm of the conversation, and leave him clueless. This time around, he tried to be as open and clear as possible.

"Shark," Yuma waved with a smile, feeling the tension and nervousness grow after each step he takes, bringing him closer to his crush. Ryoga turned around with his hands placed neatly on his hips, greeting Yuma back but was interrupted mid-speech. Shingetsu suddenly tackled Yuma into the pool, leaving Ryoga outmost confused. The teacher called for him right after this, and with a sigh, he told Yuma he'd see him later.

"Shingetsu!" Yuma splashed him in the face and looked up to see Ryoga gone, much to his disappointment.  
"You looked like you were afraid, I tried to cheer you up!" Yuma's jaw dropped as he raised a brow. He did not know whether to be baffled or impressed with Shingetsu at the moment. He shook his head and sighed, not exactly giving the other teen a legitimate answer.

There was an endless amount of fails after this try. Over and over again, they continued to pile up, one after another. Astral continued to stand by Yuma, and watch him get right back up on his feet, ready for another try. It was only expected of him to do this; he did the same in duels. However, this time around, Astral was confused over why Yuma continued to fail with this 'confession' of his. Once he tried to confess in the school cafeteria, Cathy got in the way and argued loudly with Kotori over some issue, which ruined the mood. Another time was in the hallway, where Tetsuo randomly knocked Yuma over with his skateboard. Even if the teachers told them not to play around in the hallways, this happened more than once. He even tried it during class, because he was desperate. It had reached the point where he did not care who heard it or interpreted it; all he wanted to do was to tell Ryoga the truth. This proved to be difficult when they were supposed to work on a group assignment. Takashi was in the same group as them, so he left Yuma no free time to hold a private conversation. These were attempts that could have ended better. In one-way or another, something always had to stop him. It really felt like he had failed over a hundred times.

Astral suggested calling Ryoga over to their home, but that idea was almost instantly shunned. "It's too obvious!"

Currently, Astral and Yuma were sitting on the school's rooftop, looking over Heartland City, in both boredom and curiosity. The key was a sign to never give up, to 'Kattobingu'. Yet, lately, it felt as if all that energy, which was put into the confession, slowly faded away with time. He continued to use the phrase, several times, but it never worked.

"How ma-"  
"99. You have almost failed 100 times, as you predicted weeks ago."  
"Well…I guess it was just not meant to be then…" Not being able to express his emotions never felt so heartbreaking. By the hurt look on Yuma's face, Astral could tell something about that sentence was wrong.

"Not meant to be? What does that mean?" Right, there was no reason to assume Astral would understand all of their human terms and phrases in a few days. Yuma sighed and looked up at the clouds, pondering different thoughts as he spoke with Astral.

"It's a saying, it just means that whatever you would want happen, isn't supposed to happen, and that's why it's not happening… or something alike." Astral tilted his head in confusion and observed the clouds with Yuma. His arms were folded across his chest as he spoke, and he remained in the same signature pose he always held when he was speaking seriously.

"That is the first time I have heard you say such a thing, Yuma. Suppose you were given a bad hand while dueling, does that mean it was not 'meant to be'? Do you not keep fighting against all odds, regardless of your hand?" Dueling was something that could always cheer him up, but to hear that being compared to something as complicated as love could drive him nuts.

"Astral…this is different from a duel, love makes no sense."  
"Well, I can draw one conclusion for this conversation by comparing love and dueling." Yuma looked up at Astral with a grin.  
"That I love dueling?"  
"That you are outmost atrocious at both." That sentence washed away the little piece of happiness he still held on to.  
"I can draw another conclusion from this conversation too! That is, that you fail at understanding emotions!"  
"So do you, you fail about 99 times."

"STOP bringing it up!"  
"You asked me to keep count."  
"Not for this reason! Why is it being used against me!?" A voice suddenly erupted from a different direction and in a lower tone.

"Who are you talking to, and why are you being so very loud?" Yuma turned around to see Ryoga at the rooftop. Who knew how long he was standing there, listening. One thing Yuma knew he was sure of though, was that he never mentioned a name during his speech, and to that fact, he could relax. Astral returned to the key once he heard Ryoga's voice, not wishing to witness another heartbreak, and confirmed right off the start that this was the last failed attempt.

Yuma got up on his feet and looked over at Ryoga with a smile. He had already given up trying to express his feelings, and was sure that this moment would be ruined as well, just like all other times. What reason was there to even try?  
"Hi, Shark! What are you doing up here? Don't you usually go home around this time?" Ryoga stepped closer, until they were only a few inches apart.

"I actually came to speak with you. What the hell is going on?" The words took Yuma by surprise, but of course he was going to notice something was not right. They were alone at the moment. The sky was clear, not a hint of rain, and everything was silent. Most students had already walked home, so for sure; it was only the two of them. Was it all right to give it a second go? Why not?  
The moment he decided to speak up, Ryoga's phone went off, sending shivers down his spine. No. It really did not seem as if this was meant to be, with the constant interruptions.

"Hold on a second." He was about to pick up his phone when Yuma walked past him.  
"No, never, forget it." Ryoga did not look back, but cut the call off completely without answering. It was strange he chose to ignore whoever it was that called, but there was no reason to try any farther.  
"So, you were saying?" He walked after Yuma, who seemed willing to escape this situation at any cost. Once he reached the door, Ryoga grabbed his wrist and stopped him.  
"What has been going on with you lately? Not lately, but for weeks. You've tried to approach me with something, and then just acted as if it was normal to turn away and forget. You've done it about a hundred times now!"  
"You have no idea how accurate that number is…" Yuma mumbled and tried to pull away. At this moment, Ryoga pushed him against the wall and blocked his path for escape.

"Yuma! Act serious for only one minute."  
"I have been trying! Do you want to hear what I have to say? Because I will shout it if I have to!"  
"Finally!"  
Yuma inhaled sharply at that, and was ready to unleash the loudest scream, not caring about who heard him. As long as he got to say it, he would feel good. Yet, somewhere in-between his decision, he ended up laughing instead of shouting. Ryoga noticed the sudden change, and the blush that tinted Yuma's cheeks. What caught his full attention was that signature smile he always had, practically radiating happiness.

"Finally… I was getting worried you were not going to smile like that again." Ruby eyes glanced up at Ryoga in surprise. His chest felt warm by those words, however he could not help but to ask-  
"You notice when I smile?" It was at this point Ryoga wanted to step away, but felt like that would not accomplish anything. Instead, he smiled and flicked Yuma's nose.  
"Yuma, that's none of your business."  
"-And it worries you if I don't smile?" He scrunched up his nose from the flick.  
"Yuma, stop."  
"You think about me?"  
"Yuma." Ryoga rolled his eyes. This could go on for quite some time. "Do you want a ride?" The young duelist's eyes widened in surprise when he was asked that. He was about to ask why, but soon got an explanation without the need of a question.  
"It's late, and it's getting dark. If you'd rather walk home, then go ahead, but I won't stay here any longer." Ryoga turned around and walked through the door, then down the stairs. Yuma thought about joining Ryoga, but something was stopping him. Was he not supposed to give up already? Something always interrupted them, so why even try anymore? What if it fails again? Astral's words echoed in his head. Since when did he start thinking 'what if'? He was never that type of person. Astral was right.

Ryoga hopped on to his motorcycle and put on his helmet. He sighed and leaned back, knowing that Yuma was probably too stubborn to come along. Not too long after that thought, he heard a shout in the distance.  
"Shark!~ Wait for me!"

Ryoga folded his arms across his chest and tapped his fingers against his forearm, smiling.  
"Took you some time." Once the short teen got closer, Ryoga's smile was gone. Yuma looked sort of unhappy, not equally as collected as he was at the roof anyways. He had the urge to ask if something were wrong, but obviously, that would give Yuma the impression that he cared. Yuma forced a smile and apologized for being late. Ryoga simply threw a spare helmet over to Yuma. He caught it rather sloppily, as he was not prepared for the throw. However, he put it on and sat behind Ryoga, ready for them to take off.

"Hold on tightly, because otherwise you'll fall off and die, got it?" At any normal moment, this would have made Yuma laugh, or try to defend himself, but right now, laughing and having fun was the last thing on his mind. He still wanted to confess, but what could he do? How do you say something so simple, yet complicated? How can one put their emotions into words? Especially when the person they are in love with has no clue about it, and does not even know how happy their presence makes the other?

"Yuma? It was a joke, but seriously, hold on to me." Ryoga's voice didn't reach him. He was too far into his own head, in a complicated mess of conflicting feelings. His heart ached at the thought of keeping this a secret, but at the same time, it was like a defense mechanism. Ryoga never showed any emotions towards him, and so, being rejected was a strong possibility. Shyly and slowly, Yuma wrapped his arms around Ryoga's waist, trying to hold on, but his grip was weak.

"Yuma?" What if confessing would ruin the friendship they already have? The worst feeling in the world, other than heartbreak, was losing someone one cared about strongly. He already tried about a hundred times, was there a point in continuing? It frightened him, rejection, and loneliness. He shivered and tugged at Ryoga's clothes, subconsciously. His face heated up as he felt tears fill his eyes, and his body starting to shiver. At least he was holding on tighter now. Hopefully, Ryoga could just drive him home before he began to grow even more saddened. Instead of driving, Ryoga pulled his helmet off and set it aside, then turned around to face Yuma.

"Are you freezing? Why are y-" He stopped speaking when something wet hit his hand. At first thought, he would have guessed it was rain, but when he took a closer look at Yuma, he saw that he was crying. In one swift movement, Ryoga removed Yuma's helmet and cupped his cheeks.

"Yuma, tell me what is going on, right now." When Ryoga's warm hands cupped his cheeks, it made Yuma smile, something the other teen did not understand. Yet, the delightful touch was all Yuma wanted, but was nothing he could simply ask for. All he had was one chance, one last chance to make Ryoga understand how he felt. He took a deep breath before he looked at his friend and tried to speak up. However, at that moment, Ryoga closed the little space between them and captured Yuma's lips in a soft kiss. Yuma could not think about the kiss, or pay attention to the way he was kissing. It was shocking to get kissed so suddenly. When Ryoga pulled away, he grinned somewhat victoriously.

"That was as long as I could hold it in. I would have done it sooner, but I wanted to see how long you'd chase after me." The tears had stopped, his entire body felt as if it was overheating from the intimacy. They never sat this close to each other; neither did they talk for a long while all alone. Yet, that was not what he wanted to ask at the moment. Yuma tilted his head in confusion to Ryoga's words, unaware of what he meant.

"Do you really think Shingetsu and your other friends did not know you were trying to confess? I told them as soon as I noticed you acted weird, and had them interrupt us whenever you got close." Yuma's jaw dropped and he stared at Ryoga in disbelief. He did not know what to feel, happy or angry, frustrated or relieved. It was a mix, one he could not even begin to describe. At least his tears had stopped, and the only thing on his mind now was a lot of questions.  
"Why would you do that! Why did my friends agree to it? Shark! Do you have any idea how horrible I felt every time I failed? Argh! Why do you have to-"

"I wanted to see if I was worth it…" The sentence that cut Yuma off left him speechless. He never thought of it that way. It was a rather weird way of testing someone's willpower, but it was a test nonetheless.  
"Shark…" Ryoga stuck his tongue out and pinched Yuma's nose with a smile on his face.  
"Stop your stupid crying, there's nothing to cry over, idiot."  
"You! Y-…you are such an asshole!" Yuma pulled at Ryoga's bangs in agitation. His face was completely flushed from the awkward confession, but the laughter made it more amusing. In a weird way, it did feel nice. It felt nice to know Ryoga cared and returned the feelings, even if the way he returned them was rather odd.

"I've been in love with you for a while, but unlike you, I can hide it better." Hearing Ryoga say such a thing so openly and easily caught him by surprise, as well as envy. If he just had the courage to say those same words, things would have been much easier. The purple-haired teen put the helmet back on Yuma's head and patted him before looking forward.

"So, hold on tight, I'll be driving to my place as fast as I can."  
"Huh? Why your place?"  
"It's called a date, get used to It."  
"HUH? Shark! W-wait-!" Before Yuma could get another word out, Ryoga started the engine up and drove off quick as lightning, causing Yuma to hold on to him tightly, and in all honesty, that was all he wanted at the moment.

"SHARK! I am going to kill you once we get off this thing!"  
"Ack! Don't hold me that tightly or I'll kill us both!"


	2. Slumber Party

_Title: Slumber Party_  
Rated: T  
Summary: Yuma is curious to find out how Ryoga looks like with his hair up. It's a short drabble - less than 1000 words, just because I thought they were cute dorks.

* * *

Kotori was holding a sleepover party at her place and invited everyone to join. With a little struggle, they managed to get Ryoga to follow along as well. The party ended up being successful, even if much talking was not done on Ryoga's part, they could see that he clearly enjoyed their company, more or less. Yuma had promised to go out shopping with Rio instead of her brother. That was the only thing that could convince Ryoga to follow. Unluckily for Yuma, Rio did all her shopping early, to avoid a large crowd.

With a bored Rio, and a very tired Yuma, things got very interesting in the mall. Rio, who was also at the sleepover, woke Yuma up fairly early and dragged him to the mall to carry all her bags. Eventually, after he dropped her off at their place, he could return to Kotori's house.

"Uh…Yuma, your hair…Why do you have pigtails?" Kotori opened the door for him and was more than surprised when she discovered Yuma had his hair changed.  
"Shark's sister." It was a quick reply but one he was not willing to repeat, instead, he pointed at his hair.  
"Can you help me take them off? She must have used some sort of magic or something to glue the hairbands to my hair, and I can't seem to take them off." Kotori nodded and began to take the hairband off.

"Oh, they're so pretty! What a wonderful vibrant color!" Yuma rolled his eyes; this was not exactly the right time to be admiring Rio's choices in elastic hairbands. Once Kotori was finished, she pulled the two hairbands onto Yuma's wrist.

"Maybe you'll need them later~" She winked and laughed, which caused Yuma to narrow his eyes in annoyance.  
"Yeah, whatever-" He had no energy to argue, all he wanted to do was go back to sleep. "I'll go doze off again."

Yuma rubbed his eyes tiresomely and yawned as he walked up the stairs, towards Kotori's guestroom. It was large enough for all of them to sleep there, but most of his classmates had already gotten up. Once he was inside and thought he was alone, he sighed and threw himself on the bed, but nearly landed on something, or, someone.

"Shark?" The young duelist pulled the blanket down and saw Ryoga sleeping soundly, despite this very sudden and ungraceful entrance. The other teen's soft hair framed his face cutely, and made him appear rather peaceful. One could not say the same if he was awake.

Yuma thought Ryoga would be the first one up, but to his surprise, he seemed to be the last one, for one reason or another. The urge to wake his friend up by a prank, or yell in his ears was an amusing thought, and made Yuma grin. Despite that, he refrained from pulling dirty tricks. Ryoga's look was not only peaceful, but it appeared as if he was honestly exhausted. There was no reason to make it worse.

Yuma gently lied down next to Ryoga, and pushed his dark bangs away from his friend's face, to see him more clearly. He reached out for the other teen's hands, which were cupped near his face, and held them. Even if he was covered in blankets, his hands were very cold. Yuma let one hand cup Ryoga's cheek, to see if he was freezing, but it appeared to only be his hands. He gently placed a kiss to the back of Ryoga's fingers, and allowed his own fingertips to trace over his friend's knuckles. It was at this point he noticed something. When he looked down at their hands, he saw the hairbands Kotori placed on his wrist. Now that he gave that attention, he wondered; what would Ryoga look like with his hair up? There was never a time he saw him with his hair up. Out of curiosity, the young duelist crawled over towards Ryoga and gently pushed his hair aside, to put it up in a ponytail. Ryoga's hair was thick and silky; it felt so smooth in his palm. It would be over in a second. This would have worked better if Ryoga did not suddenly turn in his sleep and cause Yuma to fall down, straight on his face. The sound and mumbling was what woke the other up from his slumber, and forced him to ask the question;

"Just, what the hell do you think you're doing?" The sudden annoyed tone got Yuma back up on his feet. He sat down on the bed to speak clearly, and defend himself, but the look Ryoga was giving him threw him off-script.  
"…You know you look very hot with a ponytail, right?" The other teen raised a brow and then appeared as if he was questioning what Yuma had just said. It did not take him long to realize Yuma put his hair up and was now grinning like an idiot for this reason solely.  
"You're a stupid."  
"I'm a stupid what?" Yuma simply tilted his head in confusion at those words.  
"You're just a stupid." Ryoga took hold of the pillow he slept on and tossed it. Luckily for Yuma, he managed to dodge it in time.  
"Shark, I compliment you, and you throw pillows at me? Rude."  
"I wasn't aiming at you, dork. I was aiming at the floor."  
"Why would you aim at-" He barely had enough time to finish his sentence before he was pushed down from the bed, onto the pillow that was just thrown. Ryoga pulled off the headband quickly and then hopped off the bed to hold Yuma pinned down.

"Shark! What are you doing?" The confident grin Yuma had a while ago vanished quite quickly. He feared what Ryoga had in store for him.  
"Let's see how fun you think this is when I give you braids."


	3. Trick and Treat

Rated: T  
Summary: Yuma is sort of afraid of the cold, and Ryoga is trying to get a laugh out of it.

* * *

The winter snow had fallen and covered the streets in Heartland City peacefully. Robots were doing their duties as instructed, people were wandering around happily, and despite the large amount of snow, the schools were still open. It was at a time like this where Yuma strongly disliked his school uniform. While being easy to wear, and rather fashionable, it was horrible at keeping him warm. He already had thin skin; the last thing he needed now was snow to suddenly start falling.

Cathy viewed the snow as appalling. She could not stand it either because of how cold it was, unlike Kotori, who adored it with every living cell in her body. The two girls had chose to head to the mall together once the last class was over. Tetsuo had already headed home earlier because he was feeling sick. Rio made sure he got home safe, and as for Yuma… He was not as fortunate.

Everyone had left the school building, and the only people walking around were teachers. Asking them for a ride home just to avoid the heavy snowfall seemed childish, and even he refused to sink so low. Instead, he stood near the exit of the school, still inside the huge building, and feared to step outside. If he caught a cold, his sister would be worried, and so would his grandma. For one reason or another, whenever he was sick, it was never a small illness. His entire body would ache and he would be out cold for weeks. It really did seem like he had to go alone, unless the teachers were extremely kind this day. As he inhaled deeply, and was about to step outside, someone patted his shoulder.

"Yuma? What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be home a long time ago?" The touch and tone of voice froze Yuma in position, as he suddenly felt an odd, warm feeling rush through his body. He turned around to see his rival and friend, Ryoga, standing behind him.

"Shark? I was… Wait, why are _you_ here at this time?" The teen with wavy purple hair sighed with a frown and folded his arms across his chest.  
"Rio. That's why. I was waiting for her outside the classroom so we could walk home together, but she just texted me that she'll be staying at Tetsuo's house. Apparently, he's gotten sick, and she's taking care of him because no one else is home." Yuma appeared to be saddened by those words. He knew Tetsuo was ill, but he never knew it might have been that serious. Before he had the time to speak, Ryoga sidetracked from what he was originally talking about, to ask a question.

"Would you like to walk home with me instead?" The shorter teen appeared slightly confused, and he forgot what he was about to say. His and Ryoga's houses were so far apart from each other. Would he be able to head back home alone after this walk? After staying silent for such a long time, Ryoga spoke up again.

"Why have you been standing here this entire time? Are you waiting for someone?" Rather than telling Ryoga the truth, he wanted to lie. He was already freezing terribly inside the building in his jacket, who knows how bad it could be if he stepped outside.  
"I was-…uh, was waiting for you! YEAH!" Yuma smiled brightly, and hoped Ryoga would not notice it was mildly forced. The only thing Ryoga noticed was that it would seem strange of Yuma to do such a thing as wait, since he had never done it before. Other than that, he nodded and simply walked outside, waiting for his classmate.

Yuma swallowed his fear and stepped outside, walking behind Ryoga. Nearly right upon exiting, his entire face was freezing, and his hands seemed to be doing worse off. Forgetting gloves was the most crucial mistake he could ever have made on this day. Then again, the last thing he expected was for it to snow this unreasonably. All he could do now was bear with it, until they reached the house.

When they had walked for a while, Yuma's patience with the cold weather turned rather slim. His fingers felt numb, and his cheeks were freezing to the point it actually hurt to get hit by the wind. He tried his best not to say a word, and not to complain, or back down from their walk. However, the horrible white flakes crashing down from the sky were bugging him. It took some time for Ryoga to notice Yuma was feeling uncomfortable, as he said nothing so far during their walk. He had to turn around and look at him clearly.

"Are you feeling all right?" As Yuma was about to reply, Ryoga stepped closer and took a hold of the shorter teen's hands. His eyes widened in surprise to how cold his friend was, and why he had not at least said something. Yuma's face went bright red when Ryoga took a hold of his hand. Despite him having gloves on, Yuma could feel the heat radiate from Ryoga's fingertips, and how he so gently held both of his hands. His thumb gently rubbed over Yuma's palm, making him feel far more comfortable and warm. Automatically, Ryoga pulled his gloves off and placed them on Yuma's hands instead. There was no objection from Yuma, at this point, he really could not question why Ryoga was doing this, or refuse it.

"Thank you, Sha-" Before he got another word out, Ryoga wrapped a part of his scarf around Yuma, covering up half his face.

"I think you're catching a cold, your face is completely red." There was no adequate way of answering that without turning more embarrassed. He allowed Ryoga to put the scarf on, and the gloves as well, then resumed to walk next to him, almost completely synchronized. During the walk, he had the urge to reach out and hold Ryoga's hand. It was to feel his warmth again, and stay closer, but he refrained from it, worried it might not be welcomed. Instead, his hand grabbed a small piece of Ryoga's jacket. He tried to do this without the other teen's knowledge, and enjoyed the small comfort it gave him. It was better to do it in secret, than to be rejected completely if he asked.

Once they reached the house, Ryoga unlocked the door and pulled Yuma inside. The shorter teen gave him a questionable look, and received an answer nearly immediately.

"Like hell I'm going to let you walk out in this horrible weather. You were freezing to death." Ryoga stepped closer to cup Yuma's cheeks, and tilt his head upwards. It was at that point where another rush of warmth consumed Yuma's body and left him speechless. Yuma could feel his cheeks grow warmer, not by Ryoga's touch, but by the blush that was slowly starting to form yet again. He stared into his friend's deep blue eyes, far too lost to even look away or say anything.

"You're usually awfully loud and energetic. What changed that?"  
"About ten degrees changed that." Yuma pulled away to wrap his arms around himself, shivering. He wished he had not pulled away, but it was an excuse to calm himself.  
" I'll go make you some hot cocoa. In the meantime, you can sit down on the couch."

Just as Ryoga suggested, Yuma took his seat on the couch, in the living room, as soon as he had removed his jacket and shoes. He continued to have the scarf wrapped loosely around his neck, liking how smooth the fabric was, and how comfortable it felt. His hands played with the end of the scarf a bit, growing slightly impatient of what Ryoga was doing that took so long. He simply relaxed on the couch as he closed his eyes and started to doze off. As he was slowly beginning to drift to sleep, he imagined what this day could turn out to be. What if he stayed at Ryoga's place until late at night? What if Rio never got home today and had to spend the rest of the night at Tetsuo's house? What would he and Ryoga do in the house alone for such a huge amount of time? Yuma hummed silently as a familiar aroma lingered in the air. He pulled the scarf up closer to his face and nuzzled it. The scent he picked up from the scarf was very sweet, and mixed with something else in the air.

"Well, I'm glad you like my scarf, but if you don't drink this now, it will get cold." Ryoga patted Yuma's shoulder and sat next to him. He had two cups of cocoa, one for himself, and one for his guest. Yuma rubbed his eyes tiresomely and took a hold of the warm cup with both hands.

"Watch out, it might burn you." Ryoga warned and placed his own cup down on the table. Yuma simply shook his head and smiled.  
"Mm, no, my fingers have turned to ice, this is melting me." He replied with a blissful sigh. The comment made Ryoga raise a brow questionably and look towards Yuma.  
"Can I see your hands?"  
Yuma turned towards Ryoga and held out one hand for him to observe.  
"Why?"

Ryoga softly held Yuma's hand with his own to see if it was true. He doubted it at first, but Yuma's hands did appear as if they were very cold, despite holding a hot cup. An idea came to mind as he observed the ruby-eyed teen. A smug smile tugged at the corner of his lips when he realized just what he had in store for Yuma.

"Are you feeling that cold?"  
"I'm freezing, but I'm not sick. I'll be fine." While Yuma was talking, Ryoga managed to move his arm behind Yuma's back, and pull him closer at the end of his sentence. The other teen's face turned crimson at the obvious move and nearly made him spill his drink all over the couch.  
"Is this better?" Ryoga leaned his cheek against Yuma's, and held him tighter. Yuma laughed inwardly at this point, and rubbed his cheek against Ryoga's. It was an odd, yet, kind action, something he did not expect to happen on a regular day.  
"Yeah, much better." He hummed with a smile on his face. He would have loved to hold Ryoga's hand, but now, they were basically hugging. His concentration and relaxation broke when he felt Ryoga's hand let go of his, and position itself on his thigh instead.  
"Then how about this-?"

The purple-haired teen's hand gently traveled underneath Yuma's shirt to rub his belly. The younger teen's body felt petrified. He didn't dare move or say anything but closed his eyes and tried to hide his face in the scarf. However, tilting his head downwards caused Ryoga's lips to brush against his, only briefly. It was a split second, but one which they both noticed. An apology was nearly audible from Yuma, as he did not intend for them to get this intimate. They were just friends, right? That would have been the case, if Ryoga had not leaned down to capture Yuma's lips in a more passionate kiss. It was poorly made because of how sudden and indirect it first was, and Yuma still appeared to be too baffled to understand what was going on. Ryoga's 'crush' sure had the intellect of a brick when it came to love. He pulled away after a few seconds, with that confident smile still visible.

"Your hands and your cheeks might be cold, but your lips are very warm." He leaned closer this time, and waited for Yuma to return the gesture. However, his friend pulled away, feeling the ambiance intensify.  
"S-shark! Why did you-?"

What interrupted his speech was a short high-pitched cry. The cup in Yuma's hands had tipped over, and the hot cocoa now left stains on his clothes. Conveniently enough, it did not manage to reach the couch before Yuma got up on his feet to put the cup down. However, the scarf was nearly completely drenched in it, likewise his entire chest.

"Shark, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to ruin your scarf, I was just…"

"I was not really expecting you to be a clown right about now. If I knew that, I would have waited." Instead of apologizing this time around, Yuma walked up to Ryoga and flicked his nose.  
"Excuse me! If you would have timed your confession a little better, I wouldn't be soaked in hot chocolate!" Ryoga tilted his head and folded his arms across his chest. Yuma did say he wanted to get warmer. This was an alternative solution.  
"We can fix that." Ryoga pulled Yuma closer and removed the scarf, before he started to kiss his classmate's neck. The black-haired teen flushed madly and shut his eyes. He did not want to pull away, but he needed to get rid of the sticky clothes. Instead of doing the more practical thing, he rested his hands atop Ryoga's shoulders, and allowed him to have his way with him. It was not as if a chance like this came every day. Everything changed so quickly from simply holding hands, to kissing. The winter's chilling weather had no effect on him anymore, but his body felt as if it was overheating with emotions. Ryoga licked the cocoa off Yuma's neck and sucked on the skin teasingly. The reaction he got from Yuma was a gasp and muffled mumbling. The fact he had not pushed him away yet, was surprising. Though, that must have meant Yuma liked him as well. It was not as if Ryoga was oblivious to Yuma's attempts to get more intimate, he just hoped the boy had enough courage to actually confess. That seemed to be about the only thing his 'Kattobingu' could not bring him.

"You need to get out of those dirty clothes, and now you've got stains on my clothes as well. Our house only has one shower. You know what this means, don't you?"

Yuma pulled away and tried to hide his dark blush, though, the evident smirk on Ryoga's face was making it extremely difficult. It was as if he said these things only to get this sort of reaction out of Yuma. The fact everything escalated so quickly confused him nearly equally as much as it pleased him.  
"Shark! You're not seeing me naked this early in our relationship!"  
"So, do you not want to see _me_ naked?"  
"…Which way is the bathroom?"


	4. Bittersweet Trick

Title: Bittersweet Trick  
Rating: T  
Summary: Yuma surprises Ryoga one day by filling his entire room with many different brands of chocolate. This really does not end the way he expected it to.

* * *

There had been tests upon multiple other tests. School was getting the best of everyone. No one had the time to simply sit down and relax anymore. Ryoga barely attended his classes, and Yuma paid no attention anyways, so naturally, they were the only ones who had time to act silly during this important period of time, right? It seemed as if Akari lectured Yuma, because he ended up studying until midnight for his tests each day. Rio must have been outraged with Ryoga to the fact he was not even trying, and pushed him to succeed. Learning for Yuma was simpler since Kotori was there to help him, but because Ryoga had skipped his classes intentionally and not even showed up, Rio did not bother to help him with his homework. It all resulted in him trying to figure things out on his own, and asking Yuma was not an option, because there was no way that overly energetic shrimp knew more about science than what he did.

After a few weeks, the signs of sleep deprivation started showing itself. Ryoga began to doze off in a couple of classes, and sleep during lunch, instead of eating. Yuma grew worried about his boyfriend's health, since he never acted this way before. He had gone through the same treatment, but he knew Rio was far more aggressive with him than what Akari was. Once most of their tests had been cleared, and they received their grades, Yuma prepared a surprise for Ryoga. Something he, for sure, knew the other teen would love.

He was currently in Ryoga's room, getting things ready. Rio was there as well, sitting on the bed, watching Yuma 'decorate' the room with a curious stare. Eventually, The purple-haired teen stepped through the door to his room and got tackled by Yuma immediately.

"Welcome home, Shaaku!" Yuma smiled and rubbed his and Ryoga's cheeks together. The sudden hug nearly made Ryoga jump out of his skin, he never expected Yuma to be over at his place, and did not even think Rio to be there. When he took one look at his room, his eyes narrowed in disbelief and his jaw dropped. He must have one of the craziest boyfriend's beyond unreasonable doubt.

His room was filled with different sorts of boxes. All of them had different flavored chocolate in them judging by the cover. Huge as well as small, ordinary looking and simple, detailed as well as colorful. There were boxes lying around as far as the eye could reach, stacked up on one another, and as soon as Yuma ran out of space on the floor, he started to put them on shelves and even the bed. Rio was sitting on the little space that was left, eating some of the chocolate she found in the boxes.

"You let him in?" Ryoga asked in a serious tone, wondering how on earth they were going to get rid off all this chocolate.  
"He was armed with chocolate, not guns, Ryoga." Rio explained as she continued nibbling on a chocolate bar, but left the room, uninterested by what was going to happen next. She closed the door as she left, and only claimed to have stayed solely to see her brother's reaction.

"Yuma, what were you thinking? We can't, I mean," He paused to scratch the back of his neck as he glanced at the chocolate boxes in the room, not knowing whether to be flattered, or question where Yuma got the money from.

"You seemed so bummed out by the tests and I was wondering exactly how to cheer you up. Everyone likes chocolate, so it was an easy solution, though…" He tried to walk over to Ryoga's bed to sit down but stumbled and tripped over a couple of boxes on the way.

"I may have acted a little…extreme."  
"You don't say?" Ryoga rolled his eyes and continued to scan his room. Everything was covered in these different chocolate brands. How did he manage to find so many, and why not just one single box? Why did he need to ask that question at all? This was Yuma after all; you're supposed to expect the unexpected with him. The taller teen carefully navigated through the mess and sat down next to his boyfriend on the bed.

"Well, what do you suppose we do with all of this chocolate?" Ryoga asked and picked up a box of several heart-shaped chocolate pieces, filled with Brandy, viewing the chocolate rather curiously.

"How about… tasting every single chocolate piece to see which one is the best? I mean, what do we have? Only about-"  
"Five-hundred and forty-two exactly." Yuma's words left Ryoga speechless.  
"…Well, that just means we'll be here for a long time." He picked one up from the box and tapped it against Yuma's lips lightly.  
"So, why don't we get started?" Yuma looked at the chocolate, and then at Ryoga, wondering why he was not the one eating it instead. Regardless, the younger teen was hungry and some chocolate would not hurt. He took the chocolate piece into his mouth and bit it in half, causing the Brandy liquor to tickle his tongue. It was an odd surprise, since he did not remember picking up chocolate of this kind, and the taste, even if it was sweet, was rather unfamiliar to him. The other teen wondered what it tasted like, since Yuma did not give him any sort of reaction. He leaned closer and softly kissed the corner of Yuma's lips before licking them, sharing some of the sweet and refreshing taste. Yuma swallowed the chocolate and kissed Ryoga back, but froze when his lips got licked.

"If you're hungry, just…eat some of the chocolate."  
"Hm, let me think about it." He picked up a different box, unwrapped it, and placed another chocolate piece against Yuma's lips. Ruby eyes narrowed slightly, wondering what the point of this was and why he was not taking part in it. The way Ryoga held the chocolate piece was rather sloppy, so he ended up smearing some of the chocolate on to Yuma's cheek when he turned to face Ryoga.

"Shark, why are y-" His boyfriend took this time to place the chocolate inside Yuma's mouth, and with that, silencing him. Yuma chewed this piece a bit quicker so he could speak up.  
"Why are you feeding me? I sort of bought all of this for you if you didn't notice. This is why it's all in _your _room after all. Was that not a hint enough?" Ryoga nodded but instead of answering the question, he picked up a different box and blinked in surprise at the different weight of it.

"What's in this box?" He shook it, which caused Yuma to widen his eyes and reach out for the box before Ryoga did something stupid. However, it was too late for that, the lid came off and the chocolate came pouring out of the box, covering the black-haired teen's arms from shoulder to wrist, as well as some parts of his chest and face. Ryoga was shocked to see the cream flying, but soon realized what it was.

"You bought chocolate mousse too? Did you just buy the entire store?" Yuma had lost his patience almost completely. One small smear turned into an entire bath in chocolate mousse. He groaned and placed his hand over his forehead, trying to hold back the witty remarks, feeling like they were unneeded. Yuma was just about to ask why he was going through all the boxes instead of just sticking with one. That was, until his boyfriend pulled up a can of some sort.

"What's this?" It took about less than a second for the other teen to reply.  
"Don't! -" Yuma yelled and before he knew it, got his face covered in chocolate and caramel. The actions that had taken place in just such a short time left Yuma with an annoyed expression, questioning why he even bothered to do this. What was the point, if it was all going to be ruined? Once Ryoga looked up at Yuma, he began laughing hysterically at the sight. The other teen rolled his eyes in response, not liking this turn of events. They were just supposed to sit down and eat chocolate, have a good time. How did that turn out so horribly?

"Will you just eat your damn chocolate? I did bring it for you after all." He insisted, but took a step back when he saw Ryoga smirk.  
"All right, I'll eat it." Ryoga grabbed Yuma's wrists and pushed him down on the bed. There was no reason to get worried if the sheets would get filthy. It was already completely covered in chocolate mousse, and Yuma would not change that fact. He gently took a hold of Yuma's hand and licked his wrist, tasting the chocolate mousse as he did so. It was only now that Yuma realized what had been going on.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"  
"-And this is why you're always on bottom." Ryoga chuckled and kissed Yuma's palm, then licked his fingers free from the chocolate that covered them. The younger teen's face was completely flushed with embarrassment. Why and how did this happen? Why could he not do it like a normal person, without all the sticky chocolate everywhere? In a fit of defiance, Yuma pulled his hand away from Ryoga's grasp and grabbed some of the chocolate mousse off his arms. To then slap his boyfriend across the face, but ended up just smearing the chocolate over his eyes instead.

"Revenge." The proud grin on his face could not be described in mere words.  
"Oh come on. At least I made it look like an accident." He gently got rid of the chocolate around his eyes so he could see. Once his vision came back, he grabbed both of Yuma's wrists and held him pinned down to the bed.

"You look rather helpless like this. It's amusing."  
"I dare you to treat me like you treat your chocolate." The serious tone always confused him, especially when something like this was uttered. There was only one single word suitable for that.  
"What?"  
"Untouched and left for millennia to come, just like the rest of this chocolate." Ryoga rolled his eyes and leaned down to kiss and lick Yuma's neck. He knew fully well that his sister was probably in a different room close by, but that did not bother him. What he also knew was that she accepted their relationship and knew when to stay away by her own instincts. Yuma murmured something in a silent tone when Ryoga licked his neck clean from all the chocolate, then gasped as he started to suck on his skin. He tried to free his hands, but knew it was of no use. Yuma arched his back, trying to push Ryoga away slightly so he could breathe and stop this act, no matter how pleasing it was. They could do the same while being completely clean, so there was no point in continuing, other than the fact it felt too good to interrupt. Ryoga pulled away, only to straddle Yuma's hips and make sure he did not move from the spot. He gathered some of the chocolate on Yuma's cheek with his fingers and placed them in Yuma's mouth.

"There, is this not more fun?" All he received from Yuma as a response was an attempt to bite his fingers. Luckily enough, he managed to pull away before the other teen did anything of that sort.  
"What got you so riled up? The fact I smeared chocolate all over you on purpose?"  
"No, I'm upset it's a little cloudy today; Of course it's because of the chocolate!"  
"You told me to eat it, and you never actually set a rule, so…" The smirk he had from before reappeared and captured Yuma's lips, preventing him from speaking any farther.

"You'll have to suffer because you were kind to me, and gave me a gift." The logic behind his boyfriend's reasoning frightened him and baffled him beyond belief.  
"Excuse me!?"  
"This is what happens when you get involved with me." Yuma frowned at those words but sighed and relaxed shortly afterwards, knowing that future events had already been decided.  
"Can we build the overlay network now?"


	5. Bet on it

_Title: Bet on it._  
Rating: T  
Summary: Yuma loses a bet and is forced to swallow his pride for the sake of keeping a promise. (Crossdressing warning)

* * *

How did he manage to get himself into this position? It all started off as a harmless duel and now Yuma was shopping alongside Kotori and Rio. The two did not see any problem with taking him along, but it appeared as if he did not want to be there, even if he asked to come. They had obviously asked why, and so Yuma explained he was shopping for his older sister. It was her birthday, and he, clumsily enough, had forgot the date up until now. That was believable enough, so they allowed him to follow along.

"Yuma! This one would fit Akari nicely!" Rio held up a wine-red skirt, along with a purple, short top. On it were a few accessories, such as a thin, red ribbon, with a gem that was holding it together. Yuma examined the piece of clothing and shivered slightly. However, he did not allow his distaste for the clothes affect his appearance. He smiled instead and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah! It looks great!" Kotori, who knew Yuma better than Rio, realized something was wrong when he acted that happy. He was not the best at hiding his emotions. Acting like this was only making it more obvious for her, and with a little time, for Rio as well.

Once the group finished their tour around the mall, Kotori suggested following Yuma home to his place. As she suspected, he seemed unwilling to comply like he normally would have. He had the look on his face, that familiar glint in his eyes, as if he was fishing for an excuse to head home alone. Unluckily for Yuma, he was unable to come up with a decent reply. It was something he should have thought of ahead of time. Then again, that was something he rarely did. The young teen carried the shopping bags and started sprinting towards his house, bidding Kotori farewell as he hurried away. Her amber-colored eyes watched Yuma curiously, knowing he was up to something. Rio turned towards her, pondering the same thought.

"Should we go to his place and see what he's up to? It's not like he acted normal, he seemed nervous." Rio typed a message to someone on her phone as she spoke to Kotori, and looked up at her friend once she was done.  
"I don't know, it is Yuma we're talking about, so I don't think it's something harmful."  
"True. All right, do you want to go for a couple of drinks before we head home to my place?"  
"Sure!" Kotori smiled and took Rio's hand before they started to walk off towards a café. How much trouble could Yuma get into by just shopping?

* * *

Ryoga finished texting his sister once he established she would not be back for a while. He leaned back in his chair and set his phone aside, staring up at the ceiling in boredom. A round of sounds came from his bedroom, it was like this for a while, but soon calmed down. Even after the disturbing sound ceased, he knew that it would take some time for the door to open.

"For how long will you hide yourself? We don't exactly have all day." He got up on his feet to lean against the wall. It seemed as if he was waiting for someone.  
"You have no room to talk!" A voice replied, one that seemed rather displeased.  
"Not anymore. Get out of my room already."  
"THAT is not what I meant!"  
"OUT!" There was a dull silence at the other side of the closed door, before it was unlocked.

"No. You come in, and then we'll lock the door again."  
"Yuma, I think you're being a little overdramatic and paranoid abo-" His speech got cut off when Yuma opened the door with brutal force and nearly slammed it straight into Ryoga's face.

"Shark, shut up! I'm wearing a dress!" He uttered in pure agony. Ryoga rubbed his nose from the minor collision and turned to look over at Yuma. He expected to laugh, and that was the reason they had the bet anyways, yet he was confused over how the outfit suited Yuma. The younger teen stood with his arms folded across his chest, looking away to avoid Ryoga's stare. However, Ryoga was examining how the dress fit on his partner's body, from his hips to his torso, and how decent it actually looked. When Yuma was not in his school uniform, he usually wore a red vest. It felt surreal to see him in something this different. Especially since he asked for something more than simply putting the dress on, something he regretted badly at the moment.

"…Telling you to straighten your hair was a mistake. I confused you for a real girl."  
"SHARK!" The sound of Yuma's voice actually caused him to laugh; the illusion was gone in a flash. Despite the other teen's spiky hair turning straight, his attitude and image remained unchanged, not to mention his voice did not suit his more feminine appearance.

"Ugh… I'm never making a bet with you again…" A dark blush tinted Yuma's cheeks as he looked away, embarrassed over the fact Ryoga got his way this time.

"You wanted to duel. I was busy. It's fair. I did say that if you lose, you will walk around in a dress for an hour." Yuma puffed his cheeks and stepped back to point at the dress with his index finger, up and down.  
"Why did you have to bet _this_!?"  
"I didn't think you would agree! That's why!"  
"Shouldn't you know me better by now?!"  
"Yeah, and I _still_ didn't think you would agree!"

Yuma sighed and scratched the back of his neck. He never thought he would lose, neither did he think that Ryoga would actually go through with the bet. Then again, Ryoga never wanted this to happen, yet, how often do you see your boyfriend wearing a dress? It was worth a couple of laughs, even if he was not exactly laughing as much as he expected he would. Ryoga smirked and pointed towards his room.

"Do you have any different clothes to try on, princess?" The comment about being a 'princess' was all the red-eyed teen could take so far.  
"Duel me!" Ryoga pushed Yuma against the wall and held him by the wrists at this point.  
"Sure, in what way?" Yuma blinked in confusion at those words and looked away with a pout on his face.

"…You'd think you'd be gentler when I'm wearing a dress, but nooo-" To this, Ryoga rolled his eyes and let go of his boyfriend.  
"Stop ruining the mood."  
"-He says an hour AFTER I wear a dress. Shark, why can't we have a normal relationship?"  
"You don't think this is a normal relationship?" There was an awkward silence filling the room for a while before both of them started to laugh.

* * *

"I think the outfit will suit you well, Rio! It fits your long, pretty hair, and the necklace makes it all better." Kotori spoke as they finished eating their ice cream. Rio smiled and blushed, thinking Kotori complimented her way more than what she normally would.

"Oh hey guys! What are you doing here?" Both girls turned around to find Akari standing behind them.

"Hi Akari! Happy birthday!" They both said in unison. Yuma's sister blinked and tilted her head in confusion.  
"Thank you, even if it's not my birthday." Hearing that made all three girls surprised.

"But Yuma-" Rio began.  
"Yuma…" Kotori hid her face in her palms, knowing something was out of order.  
"YUMA!" Akari shouted, thinking he was out dueling again and gave his friends that excuse to run off on his own. Though, what none of them would guess was that he and Ryoga were laughing while playing dress-up, at their age and maturity.


	6. Responsibilities

Title: Responsibilities  
Rating: T  
Summary: Yuma babysits 'a couple' of kids and Ryoga decides to have fun with him, or more like 'make fun of him'.

* * *

There comes a time when you have to question what is sane and what is not. Whether it'd be early, or late in your life, there is still that time we all experience. We stop for a moment to think. Is this really happening? What is going on? This was physically unnatural and downright impossible. So how, and why, were they now taking part in this?

"Yuma, I really do not think you're ready for this."  
"Stop being so negative about it! We'll Kattobingu our way through it all!"

Ryoga sighed in defeat and knocked on the door. A lady with long brown hair and aquatic-blue eyes opened and let the two teens inside. At first, Ryoga had been skeptical over the fact Yuma decided to babysit a couple of kids. He knew this woman personally, and her children were far more than trouble. Yet, no matter how many times he tried to explain this to his stubborn boyfriend, he shrugged it off as if it were nothing. All Ryoga could do now was observe the madness take place. The woman blew the two teens a kiss and exited, leaving them for the night to stay up and watch the young kids.

Yuma sat down on the staircase that led upstairs and looked around the room.

"So, why did you follow anyways, Shark? I was the only one who signed up as a babysitter."  
"I signed myself up. I'm babysitting you. I feel like you will be more of a threat to this house than those kids will." Yuma rolled his eyes at that thought. It was silly to think so in his opinion. What could anyone do that would be so dangerous? Suddenly they both heard a rather chirpy voice call out to someone. It came from the kitchen. Both of the teens thought the kids were probably hungry if they were in the kitchen, and so walked in to prepare them something to eat. However, when they stepped into the kitchen, one of the kids was holding a long sharp object.

"Oh! What is this?" A seven-year-old looking girl asked, as she examined the shiny object.  
"KNIFE!" Yuma cried in terror and rushed over to grab it from her hands. The sudden shout of an unfamiliar voice startled her, and caused her to point the knife towards Yuma. Ryoga's jaw dropped as he tried to catch Yuma before the collision, but failed. Yuma ran straight into it, making the girl scream with fright. She dropped the object, ran past Ryoga and headed up the stairs, still screaming.

"Yuma! Yuma, we have to take you to a hos-"  
"Why did the knife break in half?"  
"Excuse me…?"

Yuma rubbed his chest slightly from the collision and picked up the two broken pieces off the floor. He bit one part of it to find out it was actually a lollipop that was disguised as a knife.

"…Little brats!" Ryoga growled, not liking where this was going already. Yuma, who had only focused on retrieving the knife from the child, never noticed Ryoga's expression change so drastically, even though he did notice the scream he unleashed when the knife fell.

"Oh, were you worried for me?"  
"NO SHIT! Don't yell KNIFE and rush ahead like that without thinking!"  
"Imagine if the knife was real. You'd have a hard time explaining how a seven year old is more capable of murder than you." Ryoga leaned against the counter with a sigh, glad the whole event was over now.

"Is that all you would be thinking about after getting stabbed in the chest?"  
"Hey, I'd be dead. I don't think anything else would matter at that point." They could continue to bicker for some time, or go look for the other kids that were around the house, to make sure they do not get into trouble. It was at this point where Ryoga noticed something he most likely should have paid more attention to in this house.

"Uh, Yuma," He paused to point at his boyfriend's chest. "Where's the… key?" The younger teen was about to grab the pendant, but failed and grew anxious right away. He was so sure he arrived with it, and would never go anywhere without it. All of a sudden a familiar voice was heard from upstairs. They both ran over to see the girl from before, wave the Emperor's key around as if it were a mere toy. She stuck her tongue out in a taunting manner and giggled before running off into a random room. All they heard was the sound of a door closing, not which one.

"You look for her in the rooms to the right, and I'll take the ones to the left!" Yuma shouted before he rushed upstairs as quick as possible.  
"Ow. I'm standing next to you. You don't have to yell." Whenever Yuma grew nervous of the key, he could not help but to be jealous. He knew Yuma cared for Astral, but at times it seemed like he was more overprotective over him. Ryoga walked up the stairs in a normal pace and looked around. He remained silent to hear where the footsteps were coming from, and if a door would open again.

All he heard was a loud scream from where Yuma headed off to, and rushed in that direction. The house was rather huge, and finding their way through was rather problematic, but he eventually found his boyfriend. There were two young boys with him, one that looked a little older than the girl who ran off earlier, and another who was younger. They had tied Yuma up so he was now lying on his back, unable to get up. When Ryoga approached the little kids, he tried to act intimidating. It was a way to tell them who was in charge of this house while their mother was away. However, that attempt did not go as well as he expected. The younger boy with blond hair grabbed a fake pistol, and shot water in Ryoga's eyes. The teen closed his eyes automatically when he realized what they were doing, but ended up fulfilling the younger kids plans. They grabbed a jump rope and wrapped it around Ryoga's feet quickly, then ran away, snickering. It all happened so quick that the blue-eyed teen barely noticed the kids ever did something. He tried to walk, only to fall down next to Yuma. Ryoga grumbled curses while he kicked the rope off his feet. He sighed heavily and laid next to Yuma, looking over at him with that familiar look on his face, a look asking him exactly why he had to do this.

"You need a tic-tac." The younger teen said bluntly.  
"You mean a tactic?"  
"That too" He struggled to get free from his own jump rope, which had his hands tied behind his back, his feet as well. Once they both got free, they decided to search for the kids, yet again. They did not come to play hide and seek, but were now forced to do so. Perhaps it was a fair exchange, considering the kids were left with two strangers they knew nothing about.

"Yuma, did she tell you how many kids she has?"  
"She said a couple, I thought that meant two."  
"…Why do I feel my annoyance with you intensify at that sentence?" Soon, a round of laughs were heard, and four kids ran out from a random room, jumping at the two teens, pulling their clothes, and shouting random gibberish. It was hard to hear what they were saying as they were talking over each other. In the distance, Yuma noticed a yellow dress, probably from the girl who took his key.

"Shark! You handle this!"  
"Wait, what! You're leaving me?"  
"Tell them shark stories! I don't know! Entertain them!" He managed to rush past them, heading straight for the girl. She slammed the door shut and would have almost locked it if Yuma were not quick on his feet. He kicked the door open with brutal force, not allowing it to be locked. What would happen to Astral if the key broke? What would happen to the numbers and their mission? He could not allow it to happen. The girl he saw with the pendant earlier though, was hiding under the bed, with her feet visible. He leaned down to her level, asking her nicely for the key. She said she did not have it, and told the duelist to turn around. He could have sworn there was something different with her this time around, she sounded calmer. As Yuma turned his gaze away from the girl, there she was, standing behind him only a couple of meters away near the door, holding the key. His jaw dropped at the sight and disbelief as his eyes now focused on the area below the bed. However, the girl underneath the bed was gone. It sent an unpleasant shiver down his spine.

He fixed his gaze back where the girl with the key was standing, but she was gone as well, and when he walked over to where she had been standing, he got tackled from behind, and then heard two different voices chuckle.

"It's so much fun to trick new people like this!" One said, and the other replied to her.  
"This necklace is so pretty! I want to keep it!"

Yuma was forced down on his knees, but looked behind him to see two girls instead of one. They were twins. He only sighed in relief, happy to know this house was not haunted or that he was going insane from losing his most valuable treasure.

"That pendant is not yours to keep, so I will have to ask for it back." A deeper voice than Yuma's spoke to the young girls. It was Ryoga who had come to his rescue.

The two girls looked at each other. They knew they could not handle the two of them alone, and the only reason they held Yuma down was because they tricked him. Yet, the girl who had taken the key held it close to her chest and pouted.

"No! I like it! It's mine now!" Ryoga had grown tired and outright bored with this chase and the many times they had to suffer only in the span of twenty minutes. He was about to raise his voice when Yuma interrupted him.

"Please, give it back. The key belongs to one of my most important friends. He'll be really sad if I tell him it's gone." Ryoga wanted to interfere, but when he saw the girl's face, he stopped himself and decided to watch instead.

"But why is it so important to you? It's only a necklace… and guys aren't supposed to wear jewelry!" The girl's grip on the pendant loosened, but she still held it very protectively. Yuma sighed as her twin sister released him from her grip, so he could turn around and kneel down to her eye-level.

"It's not only a necklace. It's a very important key for my friend and I. It gives us the courage to never give up. It gives us strength and hope, if you keep the key, all that will go away. So…please, give it back?" He held his hand out gently to the girl, hoping she would understand his emotions and hand him the key. She resisted, but her sister nudged her lightly, looking at her with judgmental eyes. She looked up to see everyone else stare at her the same way, as if she did something wrong. Poor child knew what she did was wrong at last. She caved in and placed the emperor's key in Yuma's hand.

"A necklace can give you that power?"  
"It can't. Well, not this key alone. Though, with the help of friends it can. It means a lot to me because of the memories that come with it. We've been through hardships, but we always Kattobingu!"  
"Katto-bing-u?" The girls both repeated with a hint of confusion in their voices.  
"Kattobingu! Never give up! Make friends, make memories and have fun!" Yuma held his hand up so the two girls could give him a high five, and almost instinctively, they did just so, and shouted 'Kattobingu' along with Yuma, before running out of the room, to their brothers. When they were gone, Yuma sighed in relief and put the key in his pocket instead, to make sure none of the kids would grab it.

"That was an inspiring speech you gave there." Ryoga's tone of voice was not mocking, but he was impressed at how his boyfriend had negotiated with the kids. Who would have known the younger somewhat inexperienced duelist knew how to handle children? Yuma smiled brightly and wrapped his arms around Ryoga, nuzzling him happily.  
"I lied through my teeth." That sentence left the other teen speechless. Had this all just been a lie?

"I'm very evil, and only you know."  
"Hmm…" Ryoga smiled and kissed Yuma's cheek. "I like this more deceptive side of you."  
The girl that left not so long ago, to join her brothers, frowned and made a disgusted face.

"Ew! You'll catch his cooties! " That sentence made Ryoga chuckle and turn to Yuma, grinning.  
"Cootiebingu" He said in the most monotone voice there was.  
"Shark, we're never having children."  
"Oh? I guess you won't be happy when I tell you I'm pregnant." A smack across the head was what he received at those words.  
"SHARK!"  
"I was going to name our child Toma!" Ryoga stepped back and ran off, telling the other children to run from Yuma as well and mess with him more. As Yuma was chasing Ryoga, he could only think of one thing.

"I am going to kill you!"  
"If you kill me you'll kill our child!"  
"Nice bonus!"


End file.

Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, Friendship, Romance