A Bowl of Cherries
by Black Cherry Bomb

AN Quick updates because you've been so generous with your reviews! I love you all! -Cherry

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Chapter 27

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Yami held him so tight Yugi thought he might suffocate. But it was okay.

It was okay and nothing mattered.

Because he wasn't afraid.

He was not afraid that Yami would leave him, not afraid that Yami would judge him or belittle him. The taller teenage's body felt strong and warm against his own. Yugi held him as tight as he could in return, which caused Yami to moan a little.

And that sent shivers right through Yugi's spine, and his...

"Boys!"

A young male teacher walked down the hallway, the soles of his shoes clicking smartly on the tiled floor. Yami and Yugi parted immediately except that they didn't; Yami was having too much fun, and he didn't seem to care much for what anyone had to say about the way he led his life. Yugi was torn between thrashing against Yami's hold or snuggling even closer, as if his new pretty much official boyfriend could hide him, or protect him from the teacher.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't see what you were doing, but this is class time! Yugi, and... you," he said to Yami's intention, "what were you two doing in the hallway?" He kept throwing glances in Yami's direction as if he wasn't sure of something... As if he'd never seen Yami before.

Or maybe he was just struck by the resemblance between the two boys.

Yugi didn't dare speak; he looked at Yami expectantly, giving him the sole responsibility of addressing the big bad wolf.

"Well?"

Yami smirked; Yugi held his breath.

Oh no, oh no Yami, don't say anything that you'll regret! Or that I'll regret, most likely, since you don't seem like the kind of person to regret much of anything. Which is a good thing. But - I'll think about this later - hurry up and say something!

"We're doing extra-curriculars," he said smugly.

Even Yugi, who normally wasn't the most cunning bulb in the bunch, could tell that the teacher was trying to repress a laugh. He wasn't that good yet at handling kids and hiding his emotions from them, Yugi could tell. The teacher repositioned his thick framed glasses on his nose, to try and regain some sense of seriousness, or at least to distract the young couple's attention from his failure at being a serious role model who commanded authority. Not.

"You, er, you can't be doing this here, or now," he began, putting on a fake frown that didn't suit him too well. Yugi dreaded the time when the teacher would ask them to split; he just felt so good in Yami's arms! "Yugi, I'm afraid that..."

Yugi put on his best doe eyed look.

"Erm..."

It seemed to be disarming the teacher somehow.

Yami smirked some more and squeezed Yugi's hidden hip, which caused the shorter boy to yelp.

"Yugi, I'm s- sorry but I have to give you, erm, detention."

Yugi knew very well that getting caught skipping out on classes could result in whole weekends forced to come to the school. Domino High took class attendance very, very seriously. "I have to help my grandfather at the store, Mister," Yugi said. He would've said the man's last name, but didn't know it. The teacher was very new. Maybe he was a homeroom teacher to a classroom of freshmen.

"Well..." The young teacher looked sort of undecisive. He didn't look like a bad, mean person; he didn't want to put Yugi in a bad situation.

"I'd say you're doing a great job of skipping your own class, yourself," Yami said casually. Yugi blushed, steamed, melted. He wanted to vanish into thin air, to disappear on the spot. Don't be so rude to an adult! Yugi thought, appalled by his new pretty certain boyfriend's brashness. Well, to be honest, he was a bit turned on, by it, too. Turned on meaning he found him quite funny and brave. Yugi didn't have any other meaning for that particular phrasal verb, yet, and he ignored that Yami would be more than happy to teach him about that.

The teacher coughed nervously. "I... Yugi I know what you... what you did isn't the end of the world, but you did leave the classroom for something that was not... related to... I can't assume that you were on your way to the bathroom," he said.

Yugi wanted to open his mouth and say that well technically, in a sense, yes, but Yami squeezed his thigh as if to warn him against it. Yugi looked up to Yami, who was looking at the young, conflicted teacher with calm eyes, and Yugi decided to do the same. To just wait.

"I'd love to let you off the hook, Yugi, but if people hear about this I might lose my job. I'm new here and..."

Since when the teacher knew Yugi's name? Maybe that was his hair, or his cuteness, he thought. He did get the 'baby' treatment by adults in general. It wasn't rare for some clients (well they weren't clients, more lost drivers who entered the shop to ask for directions) ask him if he was in elementary school. But that - that was beside the point.

"What about a compromise - what if you come have your detention tonight, instead? You only have to stay until seven, and you're free for the whole weekend."

Yugi's face fell.

"What do you think? Look at the brightside, Yugi - if you work really hard you'll have done all your homework tonight, and won't have to do anything tomorrow or Sunday! You'll have a free weekend all to yourself, Yugi!"

Yugi wasn't really listening to him. He was praying internally for Yami to save them - yes, literally save them - because at this moment there was nothing more important in Yugi's life than this crucial date that they had planned for tonight, and that Yugi had been thinking of, dreaming about, mulling over, for the last few days and nights.

But Yami wasn't doing anything. He didn't show any kind of emotion. Yami's hands were still on Yugi, but they didn't carry any of the emotion they had before. Yami had returned to his old mask of indifference and for the love of card games, Yugi couldn't figure out why.

The teacher waited for Yugi to answer. Yugi waited for Yami to protest. Yami finally looked down at Yugi - and Yugi didn't know how to interpret his reaction.

Then he withdrew his hands from Yugi's waist. Yami looked at the teacher neutrally, then at Yugi, then at the teacher again, then he stepped further back and put his hands in his pockets. Yugi felt devastated.

"I..." He looked at the teacher, resigned. "I guess that works," he said, his voice dead. He glanced at Yami and thought he saw something dark flicker on his face. Oh no. He'd said something wrong. He hadn't reacted the right way! He didn't know what Yami wanted him to do... And he just didn't understand his sudden mood swing.

"That's great, Yugi," the young teacher said, sounding miserably apologetic. He risked a careful glance at Yami - why wasn't Yami getting any kind of detention? Why hadn't Yami kept defending Yugi until the end? "Well, you two better go back to class. I mean... Yugi, you better go back to class." The teacher gave Yami a stern look. Understanding the message, Yami turned on his heel and left.

What about tonight? Yugi had wanted to ask. Why aren't you attending classes anymore? But that would sound just really desperate and pathetic, even, and Yugi didn't want to be that anymore. He'd been so bold over the last few days, and he didn't want to lose this all over again.

"Don't worry, Yugi," the teacher said to him in a low voice. "Yami is a little... special."

Yugi looked at him with shocked eyes. So suddenly he knew Yami's name? And he acted like they were, what, best buddies or something? "You don't know him," Yugi bit defensively, hating that he himself didn't really know the man that much, either, despite the few intimate moments they'd shared. "So don't act like you do." He too spun on his heel, and walked back to his class.

The teacher was left behind a little stunned.

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