“I’m sorry, Jou, but I’m breaking my promise.” Yugi’s tone
was apologetic and soft as she smiled at him ruefully from across the dock. His
mind, which was still recovering from kicking Isis out of his head, stalled.
She couldn’t mean…
“Mystical Ref Panel!” Yugi’s gaze turned upwards, to the
pixie holding the magic mirror containing the very last card Isis had managed
to make him play, the direct assault card, Meteor of Destruction and his heart
froze. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t… “Direct your attack towards me!”
“Yugi!” Jou screamed as the fireball launched itself out of
the mirror and consumed the opposite side of the field.
And then he woke up.
Gasping for breath he quickly scanned the room he was in,
only to find he had not woken any of the others who had crashed in his room. A
fact he was both grateful for and irritated by as he had to weave between them
to grab a drink of water.
This was the third time this evening he had been woken up by
the duel at the docks and he knew it would be almost impossible to get back to
sleep again. Especially when every time he closed his eyes he saw Oneesan
having to pick herself up after a direct assault, or Yugi falling after the
meteor’s attack or worse, his best friend lying limp and unbreathing on the
docks after he had pulled her from the water…
He thanked every god he had ever heard of that her heart had
still been beating and that he had learned CPR.
He knew it was not safe to wander the blimp, but staying
here would not help either. He wanted fresh air to clear his head, or to go for
a walk, but they were trapped by Rich Boy’s insistence on showboating and Isis’s
insane other self that seemed to want to rip Yugi’s friends apart to get to
her.
He flinched as he remembered Mai’s Shadow Game and the harm
Yugi had taken upon herself in order to not only interfere in the Game but protect
him and Mai from Ra’s fire. He had sworn that he would defeat Isis and save
Mai, but he had no idea how he was going to do that. Not yet anyway.
Part of him wanted to check on Yugi. She had been tired and
sore when she had come around after the attack, but he had let Anzu talk him
into heading into his room and sharing it with the others, giving Yugi the
space Anzu thought she needed. He was not so sure. Yugi did better around her
friends. She always had.
After the incident earlier today though he could not be sure
that she would want him around. He had hurt her. Isis had had him under her
control, but it had been him playing the cards. Him who had taken a piece of
the Puzzle out. Him who had broken his promise to Oneesan and made Yugi scream
in anguish and emotional pain at the betrayal.
He had to make things right but he did not know how.
Oneesan was okay now. He knew that. He knew he had managed
to fight Isis’s control enough to put the piece back in and free her once
again, but he had still done it. Yugi had, somehow, forgiven him for his treacherous
actions, but he could not forgive himself. Not yet. Not until he had worked out
how he could ever make it up to them.
He did not think that he ever could. Yugi had nearly died because
of him and he had sent Oneesan back to the Shadows. He had not broken free from
the brainwashing until it had nearly been far too late to save his friend and
even then he had needed Kaiba’s help to revive her.
Jou cussed quietly, causing to Honda grumble in his sleep
and roll over. The blonde grimaced and made up his mind. He’d go for a walk and
see where he ended up. Isis had to be in bed by now and he needed to clear his
head or he would be in absolutely no state to duel in the morning. That would
be bad. Yugi would need the emotional support of having someone in the
competition with her.
He was still tempted to knock on her door but he suspected
Yugi was most likely either asleep or trying to sleep and would not appreciate being
woken because of his nightmares.
He slipped out the door, locking it behind him so Isis could
not hurt anyone else because of his carelessness and headed down the darkened
corridors. He was unsure of where he was headed but he did not care as he tried
to calm down.
Despite everything, Yugi did not hate him for what had
happened. Oneesan had even deliberately pulled him aside to tell him that she did
not blame him for sending her back to the Shadows and that if he wanted to be
mad at anyone, he should be mad at Isis. Logically he knew that. He was just a
normal duellist. He did not have any magic of his own that he could have used
to protect himself from Isis’s Millennium Rod. He could not have stopped her
from taking control of his mind and brainwashing him into trying to kill Yugi.
That knowledge did not help when he closed his eyes or awoke
from a nightmare but it did help now, as he wandered the hallways and let his
feet lead him around the kitchens, past the control deck and back down to the
bedrooms, stopping him right in front of Yugi’s door.
He hesitated. She was probably asleep. He knew he himself
was only awake because of the nightmares. Oneesan would probably behead him if
she had finally managed to talk Yugi into sleeping and he woke her up but…
He knocked on the door.
“One minute,” Yugi’s voice was shaky as she answered,
worrying Jou, “Who is it?”
“Just me, Yuge.”
“J…Jou?” He heard her scramble for the door and when it
opened it was to reveal Yugi was still dressed, the Millennium Puzzle hanging
in it’s customary place and she looked worried. “What’s wrong?”
“Couldn’t sleep either?” His response got a startled and
slightly hysterical laugh from his best friend, who moved aside to let him in
and locked the door behind him.
The moment it was safe Jou hugged her, feeling her freeze up
in his arms before she clung to him, clearly needing the comfort despite the
wavering question of, “Are you sure you wouldn’t be safer with the others?”
“I’m here, Yuge. Where I want to be…” He rubbed her back
gently, reassuringly and heard her sniffle, suggesting Yugi was about to burst
into tears.
“B…but…it’s not safe. I’m not safe…Isis will hurt anyone who’s
close to me…” Yugi mumbled as she tried to get herself under control. “A…Anzu
was right to keep you all away…you’re…”
“Not going to abandon you Yuge.” Jou promises, edging
towards the bed and pulling Yugi into a sitting cuddle, “No matter how
dangerous the situation looks. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”
“But…I…I can’t…” Yugi trailed off, trying not to admit to
what she was thinking.
“Can’t what Yuge?” Jou asked quietly.
“I can’t,” Her voice wavered, on the edge of tears, “I can’t
lose any more friends…” She started sobbing.
Jou had been expecting it and held her tightly, rubbing her
back and cooing softly, the way he would if Shizuka needed comfort. It seemed
to help as Yugi’s sobbing soon slowed as the girl curled into him, still
needing the contact but beginning to doze off.
“You’re not going to lose us, Yuge.” Jou promised quietly,
just continuing to hug her, “No matter what happens, we’re going to stick with
you.” He felt her relax and little and began to let go of her.
“Stay?” Yugi’s tone was soft and pleading as she grasped his
top.
“Alright.” Jou nodded, lying down with her and staying still
so she could drift into an exhausted sleep. He soon followed, the comfort of
having Yugi pressed in against him keeping the nightmares away for the rest of
the night.
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