Yusei was sat in the chair next to my hospital bed, and we had both calmed down since the whole intense choker kiss. We had the small TV in the corner on in the background. We were talking about meaningless little things, and recalling the past, when an ad came up on the screen. It was for the WRGP.
"The duelling will start tomorrow people." said the voice over man, as images of past WRGP matches flashed up on the screen, there was a Kaiba Corporation logo in the bottom right corner of the screen, "if you haven't got tickets, never fear. The biggest duelling event of the year is being broadcast live to you on the Kaiba Corporation streaming service."
"Well it wouldn't be a big tournament without the fan fair." I sighed looking away from the TV and down at the table, where Yusei and I were playing a game of duel monsters, and it was my turn. My field wasn't in a good state at all. I only had my level three Flare Resonator on the field, and it was facing down Yusei's favourite monster, Stardust Dragon and a face down. It did not stand a chance. My life points weren't much better at 1000 left either, but Yusei had no cards in his hand. I had manged to prevent Yusei's attack, but that had only brought me a turn if my draw wasn't good enough. I currently only had two cards in my hand, both of which were Battle Fader. I closed my eyes, hoping to draw a helpful card. I drew, went into my standby phase. Yusei, to my relief didn't activate any cards. Not that he could. I checked the card I had drawn. I smiled, it was my level 6 Power Giant.
"I activate the effect of the Power Giant I have just drawn," I declared making the moves as I spoke, "by sending the level one monster Battle Fader from hand to the graveyard, I can special summon Power Giant to the field as a level 5 monster."
"I take it you are going for a synchro summon then?" Yusei asked with a knowing smile.
"Exactly Yusei." I smiled back, "I am now going to tune the level 3 Flare Resonator with the now level 5 Power Giant, to synchro summon the synchro monster, Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend, which is also treated as Red Dragon Archfiend while on the field and in the graveyard."
"Ok. What you going to do next?" Yusei asked.
"Since you only have 2500 life points I activate Scarlight's effect," I started to explain with relish, expecting Yusei to activate Stardust's effect, "I can destroy as many special summoned effect monsters on the field that have less than or equal attack points to Scarlight. Then I can inflict 500 points of damage to my opponent for each monster destroyed. That means I can destroy your Stardust Dragon, Yusei."
"Then in response I chain Stardust's ability," Yusei responded just as I had predicted, "By tributing Stardust I can negate the activation of any effect that would cause damage, and Stardust will return to my field during the end phase of the turn."
"This game is over, Yusei," I informed him, forgetting about his face down, "I attack you directly."
"I reveal face down card," Yusei countered, "Mirror Force. It sends all face up attack position monsters to the graveyard."
"I end my turn." I growled unable to do anything.
"Then Stardust returns to the field." Yusei informed me. He drew his card. He smiled. It must have been good. "I summon Speed Warrior to the field in attack mode, and attack you directly with Speed Warrior, whose attack is doubled the turn he is normal summoned."
"I special summon my second copy of Battle Fader, which ends your battle phase." I informed Yusei.
"I end my turn." he conceded.
"I draw." I stated, getting carried away, but I looked up as Crow opened the door of the hospital room and was followed in by Kalin and two children, one boy and one girl, who I knew as West and Nico respectively.
"You two are playing?" asked Nico, the little girl, who had long hair and big round eyes, "Whose winning, Yusei?"
"Well, I'm ahead on life points, but if Jack just drew a game changer then he might win." Yusei answered.
"Well, it isn't," I answered, "it's Assault Mode Activate, I can't use it with what I have, therefore I surrender because you'll win next move. Hi guys."
"Yeah but as always," Yusei said smiling at me, "you gave me a good match, Jack. You always are a challenge to play against. You would have won if I didn't have Mirror Force on the field."
"Yeah, I noticed you finally started to add different traps to your deck." I smiled at him.
"How are you after this morning Yusei?" Crow asked looking concerned.
"I am fine." Yusei answered, "But I am not looking forward to it happening again."
"What happened?" Kalin asked with a concerned look on his pale, thin face.
"Yusei proved he couldn't stand up against a mob of fangirls." Crow laughed.
"By what I heard, they weren't even interested in you, Crow." I defended Yusei automatically, Crow stopped laughing, a hurt expression on his face.
"That's not fair, Jack." Crow snapped angry.
"Guys, please not in front of West and Nico." Kalin stated, reminding us that there were children present.
"Sorry." Crow and I said together causing Yusei to smile.
"I see Akiza got the dampener to you." Crow stated pointing to Yusei's neck, "It does stand out a little, because you don't normally wear anything like that, but it suits you." Yusei's face turned bright red.
"So, Yusei," West said, he was the short haired brother of Nico and he shared her eyes, "whose the better duellist out of you Kalin?"
"Well, in terms of total wins, Kalin is." Yusei considered out loud, "But recently, Kalin hasn't won against me since his..."
"Ok, Yusei," Kalin said, clearly not liking being reminded about his actions as a dark signer, when he'd nearly killed Yusei in his first duel with him, after revealing himself to us. Yusei had since, not lost to Kalin. "Who persuaded you to put that thing on any way? They need congratulating." Yusei scowled at Kalin.
"Jack." Yusei answered calmly though.
"Well done, Jack," Kalin complimented me, "it seems you are the one with the power to persuade Yusei to do stuff. You know how stubborn he is."
"Thanks, Kalin, but let's not bring the unpleasant past up." I stated, noticing the hard stare that Yusei was giving Kalin.
"So, Jack, when you getting out of this joint?" Crow asked me.
"Day after your first duel." I answered, touched by his saddened face.
"Shame, would have been nice to have you in the pit lane." Crow said, "I also won't be able to help you settle back home either because I have work that day as well."
The conversation then turned to jokes and trying to keep Kalin's charges entertained. The kids kept most of the attention off of Yusie and I with wild stories, which Crow only fuelled. That is how Yusei and I broke our little rule, and were able to hold each other's hands for brief spells, laughing and smiling along with the others.
"So, who is picking me up in a couple of days?" I quietly asked Yusei as Kalin and Crow were entertaining Nico and West with a tag duel, Nico partnering Crow and West playing alongside Kalin. Kalin and West were losing, proving that signers just had pure skill.
"I think its going to be me and Carly," Yusei answered me with an annoyed look, "mostly because she has a car. But she has told me I have to sit in the back, with you in the front. I think she is threatened by me or something."
"I wonder how my friendly fangirl would react if she found out that she stood no chance, firstly because she's a girl and I only like guys, and that I am already with you?" I whispered into Yusei's ear under the loud tag duel noise.
"I could imagine either a noise bleed, or she'd shout at me and threaten and accuse me again." Yusei guessed.
It was getting dark as Yusei and the others started getting ready to leave for the night. I felt a little sad though, because I knew I wouldn't be seeing Yusei, or Crow for two days. I would see Kalin twice tomorrow, as he was dropping the kids off to sit with me with a laptop to watch the duel on the Kaiba Corp streaming service, and he was also going to be picking them back up. Carly would by babysitting with me. That was sure to be annoying. She had visited before Yusei had come in, all flustered earlier, and she had kept making cheap shots at him and telling me how she had been made for me. It was a no holds barred turbo duel away from being her dark signer speech all over again. It was a couple of days after that duel I had realised was gay, and she hadn't yet found out that I had slept with a couple of men since then. They had been shameful one night stands. Shameful, drunken, one night stands.
"Any way we'll see you later." Crow said helping Kalin shoo the two kids through the door.
"Yeah. Good luck tomorrow." I said.
"Yeah, I think we'll need it." Crow said, "We've got Team Unicorn first again. Feels like di ja vue. After all wasn't it during the first WRGP that we faced them with one less of the core team."
"Whose your lead duellist?" I asked.
"We decided that Yusei should go first." Crow said still struggling to help Kalin with the kids.
"Well then, I am sure you're going to win." I said with a smile. "Let's put it this way. Yusei might just have a little surprise for them."
"What do you mean?" Crow asked as he finally got Nico out of the door.
"You'll just have to wait and see." Yusei teased with a gentle smile.
"Right, you coming Yuse?" Crow asked with disappointment and doubt in his voice and on his face.
"Yeah, I'll catch up, you go help Kalin. I'll see down stairs in the lobby." Yusei answered. Crow left.
"So you are hanging back because?" I asked.
"So I can give you a good bye kiss." Yusei answered, pecking me on the lips softly. "See you in two days, handsome." Yusei turned and walked to the door.
"See you soon, Yusei." I returned, blushing as he left. Sunday couldn't come soon enough.