Right in a Bad Way

Title: Right in a Bad Way
Author: Rienna Hawkes
Summary: Sexual tension gets the better of Jounouchi and Mai, causing him to steal and her to jump his bones.
Rating: NC-17
Paring(s): JounouchiXMai
Feedback: Desired.
Characters(In order of appearance): Mai, Varon, Jounouchi, Honda, Anzu, Yuugi, Mokuba, Kaiba, Ameluda.
Betas: None.
Author's Note: This takes place after the entire series ends. The relationship between Jounouchi and Mai has always fascinated me because of everything it survived, even though it was never consummated or even made official. This isn't a happily-ever-after love story where they vow to be together forever, or anything like that--that story sounded too tedious to write. So this is just the one where they get jiggy. This first chapter is more set up than anything and I included Varon simply because I like him. Write me to tell me what you think or if you see any mistakes.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yuugi-oh in any way, shape, or form, nor any of the characters. I am not profiting monetarily or otherwise from this story.


Chapter One: Knights in Distress


“Mai, I need a favor.”

“I thought you deleted my number, Varon.” She hoped he’d take that as a no.

“Well, I meant to, but now I’m stranded, so I’m glad I didn’t.” His voice did sound desperate through her cell phone, but damn it, she wanted to go home and sleep.

“Can’t you call Raph?”

“He and Ameluda are already on a planes home to Europe.”

“Weren’t you going back to America?”

“My plane leaves in less than an hour. So unless you want me to bunk with you, and I’m guessing form the fact that you permanently kicked me out of your bed three long, long months ago that you don’t, I’m going to need a ride.”

“Threats?” She was cleaning specks of dirt from under her nails and taking her keys from the attendant at the garage where her Lexus had been stored on her trip to China. “Fine, where are you?”

She tossed her purse into her car while Varon gave her directions—kind of; he didn’t really know Domino well. Luckily, he was only two streets away and they were less than a ten minute drive from the airport.

They had just come from an extended world tournament with more than ten thousand contestants. She had placed sixth, after being knocked out by Kaiba. Varon placed eighteenth after she beat him. That memory made her feel better.

She rolled to a stop next to a jerk in a red jacket. She didn’t reach to open the door for him. “Why couldn’t you catch a plane in Hangzhou like everyone else?"

The handsome young man climbed into the car next to her, his brown hair meticulously styled in a way that looked casually messy. “My bike was here and I had to make arrangements to have it sent.”

“Well, this sucks, I just want to sleep.”

“Those are new earrings,” he changed to subject with all his usual subtlety.

She glared at him. “Shizuka gave them to me,” she said pulling back into traffic.

“Thanks, Mai,” he said after a moment. “I know it was rude of me to call, and that you didn’t need to come.”

Some of her anger melted. Varon wasn’t the type to apologize and that was pretty close. “Well, I’m in a bad mood, but that doesn’t mean I want you wandering the streets of Domino harassing locals. Did you finish with the arrangements to have your motorcycle shipped?”

“Actually, it was stolen.”

She looked at him alarmed. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I decided not to call in the authorities. After all the cars I’ve stolen it would be really hypocritical for me to get worked up about this.”

It always surprised her when Varon did this—let go of something in such a relaxed manner most people would never let drop . She couldn’t figure out a pattern to predict what it would be; many times he was overly tenacious. It didn’t make sense, but it was one of the things she liked about him. Of course, the fact that he owned five other motorcycles which he kept in a private garage he bought with his Doma savings, might have something to do with his lack anxiety about losing this one. Or he could be drunk.

“What’s that?” he asked, gesturing to a package which had fallen out of her purse when she had tossed it.

“I’m not sure. Raphael asked me to give it to Yuugi when he found out Yuugi had left immediately after the tournament.”

Varon looked thoughtful, “Oh, yeah. Didn’t he hitch a ride home in Kaiba’s private jet?”

Mai nodded. “Anzu got a phone call during the finals and told Yuugi that his mother had been in an accident right after the duel. The Kaibas were right there and Mokuba offered a ride.”

“Jounouchi was on the next flight out, wasn’t he?”

She said nothing.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to fight him; I know that’s why you signed up for the tournament in the first place.”

He couldn’t be serious. “Shut up, Varon.”

“And I’m sorry he didn’t say goodbye to you.”

“Did you hear me?”

“I’m not taunting you. I was disappointed at not being able to fight him, too. He was the best duel I ever had.”

She pulled to a stop. “We’re here. Now get the fuck out of my car and on your plane.”

They glared at each other for a moment before he broke out in a wicked grin.

“You’re right; I was taunting you.”

“No kidding.” And then she smiled, too. She couldn’t help it. Despite all the awkwardness and bad blood between them from a failed attempt to destroy humanity and a failed relationship, she still liked Varon and he still liked her—but he knew her too well. “Good bye, Varon.”

“Goodbye, Mai. Get some sleep before you get nasty bags under your eyes. Don’t worry; I’ll call when I get in so you know I’m home safe.”

Without another word he turned and walked through the automatic doors, his carry-on slung over his shoulder.

She was surprised at the pang of sadness to see him go. He was a good friend and suddenly she felt lonely for him—not enough to go after him, but enough to regret that it would be almost a year till she saw him again at the next tournament.

On the bright side, now she could go home and sleep. Or so she was allowed to think for almost ten minutes.

She hit the breaks. Is that Jounouchi? She couldn’t see him clearly, but she knew. She knew those sneakers, knew that blue jacket, knew that way of carrying one’s shoulders. He was sitting at the curb; she pulled over too fast to be safe.

“Jounouchi?”

He looked up. “Mai?” It was obvious he was happy to see her.

She was smiling like an idiot, and suddenly she wasn’t all that tired. All because his eyes lit up when he saw her. God, she was pathetic.

“Do you need a ride?” she asked, seeing a bike with a flat tire next to him.

“Yes—no, well, Honda is going to borrow his brother’s car to come get me, but that won’t be for another forty-five minutes.”

“That sounds like a yes to me. You can use my cell phone to call Honda.”

“Will my bike fit in your car?”

That was a legitimate question. “Maybe if I put the top down.”

She flipped the switch and the top began to roll back. Then she got out of the car to help him lift the bike into her car.

“I can do this myself,” he said somewhere between amused and offended.

“Nonsense. This is my day for rescuing knights in distress. I just drove a stranded man to the airport.” She dug her phone out of her purse and handed it to Jounouchi.

He dialed his friend’s number and she took the moment to stare. She had a problem, a sick problem that she needed to get rid of, but couldn’t.

When she had first seen him on the ship to Duelist Kingdom, she was much less than impressed; when he defeated her, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She told herself that it was just that she hadn’t been beaten in a long while and was ashamed that an amateur had broken her streak, but after he beat Ryuuzaki, there was no denying it—she was attracted to him.

For a few days, this had puzzled her. Why? she had wondered. He had none of the qualities she was usually drawn to. He was not rich, or powerful, or stylish. He had no finesse, no control and she was certain he was not the brightest light bulb in the box. He was loud and obnoxious, hot-headed and tactless. When dueling, he relied on instinct and luck, taking each play as it came, not on skill or strategy. He wasn’t even much to look at—not that he was ugly or any such thing, but he was certainly not Varon, Otogi, or Kaiba, either. But by Pegasus’ castle, she had figured it out. He was determined and resilient, and though he didn’t necessarily know how to duel, he knew how to fight—something that could only be learned through experience. He had a child’s idealism and playfulness and an adult’s burdens and responsibilities, both of which he bore no matter what they cost him. She liked that he was intimidated by her, but that it never held him back—that he teased her, played with her and fought with her. He was brave, not denying fear, but counting it irrelevant to the task at hand. That he might fail, might lose, never meant not fighting. In him she found someone else who loved the fight for the fight, and who loved fighting with her. She had been bored when he first came along, resorting to cheap ploys to get her kicks. Jounouchi had made dueling fun again, and that was what she liked most about him: that he and everything about him challenged her. Varon had offered some of this, but without the softness, the trust, and the purity of Jounouchi. Varon was disillusioned and disappointed; Varon was too much like her. He offered companionship but no release or hope. In the end, it was Jounouchi she wanted.

Varon had known this and, after months and months of trying to turn her affections elsewhere, had accepted it. Mai knew that he still loved her, but since their relationship had ended, graceful in defeat, he had never brought up or even alluded to those feelings. That didn’t stop him from teasing her about her feelings though.

“Mai?”

She jerked back to awareness. “Yes.”

“Honda still wants to pick me up. He won’t say why.”

That was weird. “Alright, then I’ll just wait with you.”

Jounouchi related this back over the phone. It seemed Honda didn’t like this either, but suddenly Jou seemed to be talking to someone else.

“Um, Anzu wants to talk to you,” he said passing the phone to Mai.

“Hello,” Mai answered.

“Hi, Mai. How have you been?”

Mai smiled. “Pretty good. You’re wondering about those clothes I promised you.”

There was a slight pause. “Yes.”

Mai laughed. “It’s okay, I get excited about clothes too, which is why I’m giving some away; I can’t fit anything else in my walk-in closet. I’ve got three sacks full for you at my apartment.”

“Three?” Anzu was pleasantly surprised.

Mai heard another voice in the background. “Hey, is Yuugi there?”

“Yeah, he and Honda are playing video games. Honda’s swearing because Yuugi keeps beating him.”

“I have a package for him from Raphael—that reminds me, how’s Yuugi’s mother?”

“Oh, she gave us a scare but she’s fine now, home already. How about we try this, you take Jounouchi to your apartment and we’ll be by in about an hour to pick up him, the clothes and the package.”

Mai considered this. She wasn’t so sure having Jounouchi in her apartment was a good idea, but because Honda was insisting on picking Jou up, it was a solution that made sense. “Okay, why not.”

Anzu laughed at something that happened on her end Mai could only guess at. “Then we’ll see you in an hour.”