Fall of the Dice

Disclaimer: I don't have any claim to Yu-gi-oh, I don't even own a proper deck of cards. I have a few manga and some copies of the Anime, but that's all. I most certainly won't get any financial remuneration from this fiction

Chapter One: Roll of the Dice


The longhaired teen idly dropped the unmatched pair of dice onto the counter of his shop and picked them up again.
Five and two.
Six and one.
Two and five again this time, but the red die had the two instead of the bright yellow one.
Three and four.
Otogi Ryuuji hoisted the two cubes and shook them firmly. His mind was not on the numbers or their significance. He was remembering the events of the last three weeks.
He shifted on the tall stool and dropped the dice again.
Four and three.
Three weeks ago, he had been sitting at the local café, deciding between a sundae and a banana split when Jounouchi Katsuya had shown up and dropped into the seat opposite him, with a large ice cream soda adorned with two straws. His offer to share the treat was a welcome one, as it was a root beer float and that was Ryuuji’s ultimate favorite soda.
Sipping the drink from one straw as Jou sucked from the other was like a competition to see who got to the bottom first and it had hardly clicked, until Mai had happened by and squealed at just how cute they looked sharing a soda, and asked how long had they been dating.
Otogi Ryuuji was aghast. How long had they been what?
Jou squelched the rabid Yaoi fan girl by explaining that they weren’t and could she please just get a life?
Then, when she had blustered off complaining bitterly about how she was always left out of the fun stuff, Jou had leaned down and whispered across the top of the straws.
“Not that I wouldn’t be interested, Ryu.” And the blond had actually winked.
Yellow and red die fell to the counter a few more times.
Six and one, four and three, five and two.
Two weeks ago, Otogi Ryuuji had closed his establishment, and headed for his little green Porsche, when he heard the scuffle of feet behind him and was knocked to the ground by a large burly man. The stranger huffed something about all his cash, and started rummaging through Ryuuji’s pockets when something pulled his attacker off. Ryuuji quickly scrambled to his feet and dove into the shadows to watch, as Honda Hiroto proceeded to thrash the assailant; and when the man ran off, he looked toward the area where Ryuuji had gone into hiding.
“Hey, you okay, Otogi?” he called. Ryuuji climbed out from behind a trashcan and looked toward the direction the frighteningly large man had run. “It’s okay, he’s gone.”
“What are you doing here, Honda?” Ryuuji called out. It was nearly nine o’clock and was no time for the teen to be out wandering the streets.
“Actually, I was headed home. We just had a late game of Shadow Poker over at the game shop. It is kinda on my way, and I saw that thug go after you. Are you all right? I ain’t leavin’ you if you’re hurt.”
“I’m fine. Thank you. Would you like a lift home?” Ryuuji asked, indicating his car. Honda watched as his pointed finger shook with the degree of fright he had actually been through.
“I think I’ll give you that ride. Come on; give me the keys. I’ll get you home, and when you’re safely tucked in, I’ll feel better.” And the tall brunet had taken his keys and drove him home.
Surprisingly, Honda knew exactly where Ryuuji lived and to his embarrassment, the teen seemed actually intent on tucking him in. Ryuuji thanked the other and managed to get his keys and send the boy off, without resorting to changing and climbing under his covers first.
“Then, I guess I don’t get a good-night kiss, either.” Honda had said, as he made his way down the driveway. Ryuuji shut his door quickly, staring off into space as the comment managed to dig deeper into his consciousness.
Dice slipped from long agile fingers and rolled across the glass surface. Ryuuji lifted them and rolled them to his fingertips to have them fall again.
Four and three, two and five, one and six.
Six days ago, he was here again. Seated on this very stool, watching two kids rush out his door, his latest home version of Dungeon Dice Monsters clutched in their hands. When the door opened and a strangely relaxed Kaiba Seto crossed his threshold. The tiny bell jingled happily as he let the door swing itself shut behind him.
“I wanted to suggest a truce. I don’t think it is good business for either of us to continue this ridiculous feud. What do you say, Otogi? Friends?” the thin brunet had offered. Ryuuji had smiled and shook the proffered hand.
“What brought this on all of the sudden, Kaiba?” he had asked.
“Please, call me Seto. I just happened to notice you at the last promotional tournament and realized how silly it all seemed. We are more alike then either of us might like to think, and I knew that you would not be coming to me, so here I am. Laying down the first brick in the foundation of our future.”
“Bricks? How big of a foundation do you intend? Is this some kinda trick, Kaiba?” he said, beginning to smell a snake.
“Seto, remember? No trick. I just think we could be more than just casual friends. If we look deeper, we may find we are very compatible.”
Once more the dice were in his hands, and once more he let them fall.
Double fours?
Ryuuji stared at his personal favorite pair of dice and was enveloped in silence. He narrowed his gaze and lifted the little plastic cubes once more. He shifted on his seat, feeling the gentle shift of his clothing against his skin, and realizing how heated his body was. Fours? He rarely threw fours. Dropping the counters again, he watched them roll for a second or two.
Snake eyes?
The dice seemed to stare back at him as he watched them land directly next to each other. He poked at the red one, and as it tapped against the yellow he reached to lift them once more. What was going on here? He dropped them and they tumbled across the shelf.
A three and a one?
That was just too much. He grabbed them and stood, shifting the fabric of his underwear back into place after so long in that position.
Otogi Ryuuji was going to find out what was with everyone he knew lately. He was not going to sit here waiting for explanations. It was time to act.

Jounouchi sat down at the small table and looked at the two pair of eyes that regarded him in return.
“So, what do we do?” he asked.
“You got one, too?” Honda asked.
“Yep. Came in today’s mail, and after Kaiba told me about his yesterday, I figured we needed to talk about this.”
“No one else got one?” Honda asked again.
“No one. Just you, me and Jou.” Said Seto from his side of the table. He wasn’t relaxed now, and he was just about to leave if the idiot on his right didn’t stop asking stupid redundant questions. “It does make sense. Yugi and his grandfather will be busy with that Egyptian exhibit they are helping Malik and Isis with. Ryou and his dad are going to England for a month. Anzu and Mai are, well girls. And you don’t invite girls to spend the week in the mountains. So, there is no reason to suspect anything. Except for the fact that we have all hit on him this past month.”
“Yep, and none of us got anywhere either. So, what does this mean?” Jou said, eyeing the invitation warily.
“It means we are going to be spending a week with Otogi-san at a secluded cabin in the mountains, all three of us. It wouldn’t be right otherwise.” Seto insisted.
“I wish I had never told you guys about my crush on him.” Honda whined.
“Well you did. And then we admitted ours. It was the right thing to do, and then we aren’t arguing about it, stepping on each other’s toes and it lets Ryuuji decide for himself. All’s fair.” Jou said.
“Yes, so quit bawling about what is done. I have an idea.” And the others leaned in to hear the plans the CEO had for their little vacation.

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