Rp Log: [Jounouchi and Mai]
Summary: It's been a while since Jou and Mai's breakup, but the wounds are still pretty fresh. So when both find themselves working together on a chemistry experiment because we muns are pure evil, things are a little...well. Awkward to say the least. But could there be a little spark of hope for the blondes? Perhaps not.
The bell rang, and Jounouchi groaned yet again. It had become a habit with him; whenever it was time to move, he couldn't help by sigh with slight annoyance. No matter where he was, it wasn't like he wasn't going to fall asleep or learn anything, anyhow. So who bother going from room to room? Alas, Domino High had decided he needed to relocate every hour or so, and he was forced to comply.
Next on the list was chemistry class. This class was only mildly interesting because there was always the possibility that someone might set the school on fire. Or at the very least their own hair. But thanks to recent events, even this didn't sound appealing to the blonde. Nonetheless, he shuffled down the hallway, his bookbag slung over his shoulder and a hand shoved in his pocket and yawned.
Kujaku Mai was grateful for the time schedule today. She had lab in chemistry, and there apparently wasn't enough equipment in her own chemistry class, so she had to go to this one. Chemistry never was one of her favorite classes, but at least now she didn't have to run to the other side of the building. This class was conveniently down the hall from her first one. After the bell had rang, she picked up her things at her own pace, and began walking the short distance it took to get to her next class.
Jou soon arrived at the door of the lab, and there was a bit of a swarm at the door. Apparently a list had been posted dictating who was to be partnered up for the experiment. He'd overheard someone explaining why the classes were combining, but he didn't really care all that much. He stood to the back of the crowd, waiting for things to die down so he could see who he was working with and whether or not he'd get a good grade; if this kid wasn't smart, they were both screwed.
When Mai had arrived, she hesitated a bit at the sight of the large crowd. What was going on? She came closer, blinking when she saw a rather... familiar blonde waiting at the back of the crowd. She blushed a little, but kept reminding herself of the things her and Kisara had been talking about. She got the attention of a random student, and asked what was going on. ...Partnering up? Mai sighed. She better not get some loser who'd make her do all the work.
And Jou noticed her as well, but he immediately turned his head away from her. Mostly to hide the small flush he knew was on his cheeks. Great, just great. Mai was in this other class? Oh well.
The he noticed the small gap in front of the lab partner sheet. He strode up to it quickly, thoughts of Mai flying through his head. As long as it's not her, I'll be fine, he told himself, looking for his name on the sheet.
.....Son of a bitch.
Mai finally got a chance to squeeze through the crowd to see who she was with. She noticed Jounouchi gazing at the sheet with a really annoyed expression. She tried to best to ignore him, but when she saw who she was partnered with... that was impossible now. "...." Ohnoohshit. What do I say?
Mai quickly looked back at him, breaking out into some nervous laughter as well. "...So it seems," she answered, unable to look him directly in the eyes. "Should we... find a table then?" There would be awkward times like these. Mai just had to learn to avoid feeling as awkward as she did.
"Yeah, we should," Jou agreed. Instinctively, he reached out to touch her back as they walked through the door, but caught himself at the last minute. IDIOT. She's not yours any more. You gave it up, he thought, and tried to cover up his mistake by running the hand through his hair and grinning sheepishly. Once inside, he dropped his bag down at the first free table.
Mai followed suit, dropping her bag beside her, and placing her books on the table in front of her. She coughed a little, sitting down. "So...uhm, what kind of project do you think this is?" she asked as everyone in the class were finding their partners and tables.
"Um...I don't have any idea," he answered truthfully. He avoided looking over at her at all costs, as his heart was racing a mile a minute and the last thing he needed was to be reminded of how great Mai made that school uniform look. He ran the hand through his hair again, ruffling it slightly. "...Sumthin' with chemistry?" Yeah. Real funny, Jou.
Mai blinked, biting her lip. "...Yeah. I guess the teacher will tell us," she said obviously as well. Sighing, she considered only talking to Jou when it had to do with the assignment. Because although she told herself to get over it, she felt plenty awkward now. At least he wasn't acting like.. he hated her or anything. That was a nice change since the last time she had really seen him.
Jou considered the same thing. When the lab sheets were passed around, he did something he'd never done in his life. He read it.
"...Looks like we just have to mess around with the stuff on the table for a bit until we get a reaction," he summarized from the sheet.
Mai fiddled with the hem of her skirt, removing some stray lent, before she heard Jou say what the assignment was. On a whim, she laughed a little. "Did they want a school bombing without it being intentional?" She coughed again, swallowing down her laughter when the teacher gave her a warning glare. "...Uhm," she picked up a tube with some strange liquid in it, and another. She looked around for something to mix them with. "Can you hand me the beaker?"
Jou forced himself not to laugh at Mai's joke, but an amused grin pulled at his lips. "Yeah, sure," he said, quickly holding out the beaker to her as he looked intently at the lab sheet.
Mai poured both liquids in, not really getting much of a reaction. "Hm. Is that all the assignment says?" She asked, making sure. What would they learn from just finding a reaction anyway?
"Did you use the alco-" Jou started, then paused as he realized the weight of what he was saying. "....-hol?" Yeah. This was getting worse by the minute. What are the chances?! Yeesh.
Unfortunately, Mai noticed his hesitation. Her eyes clouded over for a second, before she let out a sigh. "...No," she said, quietly. "Can you pass it here?" she asked, looking directly at the beaker.
"....yeah," Jou answered heavily. With an almost reluctance, he picked up the small bottle of rubbing alcohol and held the clear liquid out to Mai. His eyes wandered over to her, and he looked at her blonde curls framing her gentle face. ....Dammit. Why did it have to be this way?
Mai grabbed the little bottle, flushing a little when their hands met. She shook herself out of the small sensation, then poured the alcohol in their mixture. She blinked after a few moments. "Look, something's happening..!" she said, leaning over to get a closer look at some small bubbles that were forming.
That might have been the only thing that could break Jou out of his trance. Which in retrospect might not've been all that hard. Yeah, focus on the experiment! he thought. He glanced over, but couldn't see the reaction of the chemicals very well. So he mindlessly stood up and stepped next to Mai, leaning over and finding the fizzing and bubbling in the beaker slightly fascinating. "Wow, it worked," he whistled a bit.
Mai found herself captured by the effect their project was giving off. It almost glowed... But she was soon interrupted, as she felt the other blonde's breath near her neck. "...." Her heart was beating faster than it should have been, and she could feel her cheeks heating up. She suddenly wanted Jounouchi closer than he was... but she shook the feeling away. They were in school, and, Mai still needed to prove to Jou they could be together again.
At this point, Jou was so entranced by the project, he'd placed his hand on the back of Mai's chair as he craned his neck. "Man, that's pretty cool," he said softly. And it was. But when he felt Mai's shoulder rubbing softly against his chest, his concentration was broken, and he blinked. Was he...? His amber eyes slowly turned to look down at Mai, a bit shocked and almost dazed, as though he didn't know what was happening. But he felt her soft warmth and found himself unable to move away. Mai...
Mai closed her eyes. Here Jounouchi had even gotten just a bit closer, and he still hadn't pulled away. Mai was convinced she was going to die of a heart attack here and now, but she had to hold on just a bit more to experience this moment with Jou. She clenched the hem of her skirt, trying her best to keep looking at the reaction the experiment was giving off, but Jou.. he smelt very nice this morning. At least to her. IlovehimIlovehim, her mind softly chanted, and she shivered slightly. It was almost like they had never gotten together at all, and she just had a school girl crush. Always wondering if he was going to love her back.
His heart was racing faster than his mind, and if he had any sense at all in his head, he would've pulled away and sat back at his seat. It was OVER. She'd done something that he just couldn't forgive!....Could he? Well, he really wanted to right now. He would've given anything to have that night be erased from history just so he could kiss her right at this moment. Before he could stop himself, he spoke to her in a shaky, nervous tone. "Mai, I...I, um..."
Mai felt her breath stop in her throat, and stay there. "...Y-yes..?" She tried to stop it, but she felt hope begin to race through her. She recognized that tone in Jou's voice. She wanted to look at him, despite any kind of trouble it may cause, and before she knew it, she was.
"I...." he stammered breathily, finding it hard to tear his gaze from her. GOD, why did she have to be so gorgeous?! And why did she have this power over him? Wasn't he supposed to be mad or something? Wait, why in hell did they break up anyway? Jou's mind went blank, and as he finally found himself able to look back at the project as he stood against her, he caught sight of the bottle he'd handed her earlier.
In black marker on masking tape, the bottle was roughly labeled, and turned just enough so that one word was all Jou could read from his angle. Alcohol.
His heart stopped racing, and his mind cleared instantly. "...I think we should clean this up," he said with a heavy heart as he stepped away from her back to his seat. You're an idiot, Jounouchi.
Mai wasn't exactly broken from the trance just yet, even as some sadness swept over her as he pulled away. She did stop looking at him, but it took her awhile to find her voice. Why Jou? Don't you still love me? "Ah, yeah. That would be a good plan," she answered, taking the beaker, and walking to the nearest sink.
"Yeah," he answered wearily, slipping into his chair. He rested his elbows on the table and covered his face with his hands and sighed. What the hell am I doing?! he mentally reprimanded himself. "You're a fucking idiot and can't go back. There was a goddamn reason for this, and you know you can't," he whispered to himself as Mai cleaned the beaker. "It's just over. You made a decision. Live with it."
After a few moments, Mai came back to their table with a clean beaker. She gathered everything they had fiddled with and placed them where they were before. "So..." She looked around the classroom. "It looks like we're the first ones finished."
Jou had not removed his hands from his face, and he numbly muttered to acknowledge Mai's statement. Don't look at her. Whatever you do, dont', he thought. So when his hands immediately fell and he looked over at Mai again, he wasn't all that surprised. He had no self control. "Guess so," he said absently.
"Are we supposed to discuss anything?" Mai asked, concerning the project, but it almost didn't seem that way. She was a little worried about the way Jou had his hand on his face just now. Was he tired? Was he not getting much sleep lately? She bit back her urge to ask about it.
"....what?" he asked dully, almost not comprehending a word. Then he realized, yes, they were still technically in class. The world didn't stop for his stupidity, much as he wished it did. Quickly grabbing for the lab sheet, he saw a short list of questions they needed to answer. "...gotta fill these out," he said with a sheepish smile.
Mai glanced over the lab sheets, having to get a little closer to the other just so she could read it. "...Well, this is somewhat ridiculous," she observed. How were they supposed to know how the reaction happened when they were just randomly mixing things in?
Of course, Jou was pretty much useless when it came to the analysis part of the lab regardless of how useless he was for the actual experiment. "Hmm," he muttered, glancing around. How in hell was everyone else still mixing stuff together? "....Well, I don't know what to write," he said. As though it weren't obvious.
Of course you don't, Mai thought, giggling to herself. Then, she abruptly stopped. She pulled the paper closer to herself, and wrote down the best answer she could think of. "Not always the brightest crayon in the box, hm, Jou?" she asked absently, reading over the next question.
".....Guess not," he said dully. Well, what did he expect? Of course Mai'd be pissed at him. Why the hell not? But Jou could be mad too....he just didn't feel up to it.
But Mai wasn't angry with him, surprisingly enough. She was nervous, yes, but not angry. Finally, she managed to gain some resolve. She had to get over this whole awkward thing, and they both had to get over it now. "Hm~ This is almost like how we were before we dated," she paused, looking back at Jou, daring a wink. "Wouldn't you agree?"
Jou.....was baffled. To say the least. He arched a brow, and looked over at Mai skeptically. Yeah, this was a possible trap. Mai had a way of making a guy feel safe, then pulling the rug out underneath. Maybe she was looking for some weird revenge. Like...maybe they'd be friendly for a bit, and somehow she'd get him alone, knock him out with chloroforme, then ducktape him to the flagpole in his boxers.
......And that was when Jou realized his imagination was completely out of control.
"...I guess," he forced himself to answer, but was careful not to seem too concerned with the situation.
...Well Jou certainly wasn't making this easy, but Mai went on anyway. "Well, I'm just saying," she said, biting her lip. When was class going to get out?
"I guess I just don't see how," he blurted out without thinking. He immediately cursed himself for doing so, but at this point it was too late. "...I mean...I don't know."
Mai glanced over at him, taking to fiddling with the cuffs of her uniform. "Please, Jou. Normal people don't act like how we're--" Suddenly, she wasn't so courageous, once she thought of the real reason why they were acting like this. Was she just making herself look like an idiot?
"Normal people don't what?" he urged her on, actually curious what she was going to say. Jou made himself look over at Mai, and forced himself to look like a casual glance.
Mai looked away. She was falling more in love with him. "It's uh, like we're both nervous because we're afraid of whether or not we like one another." There. Maybe Jou would stop asking. Or maybe Mai shouldn't have said anything at all. "...But." It was quite obvious what that "but" meant, but Mai didn't feel like repeating it.
And Jounouchi knew exactly what she was saying. He looked at her for what seemed like a long time, debating with himself. A part of him told him to forget everything; he loved her too much to hold anything against her. But there was still part of his mind that was scared, and images of his childhood flashed through his head. "....Yeah, I guess so," he said, forcing a hesitant smile.
Mai couldn't stop herself from looking at him, and giving him her own smile. It was a bit shaky, but hearing those words gave Mai that little bit of hope she was beginning to doupt. Her smile reached her eyes, causing a happy glow in her eyes, before she turned around again. "...Yeah."
Jou was unaware of Mai's hope, mostly because he was too busy trying to get his brain to SHUT THE HELL UP and stop telling him to make up. It wasn't going to happen. And so what if he was over reacting to all this? Didn't he have a good reason? In his mind, he did, so that was that. It was over, and would remain that way. "....hm,' he muttered thoughtfully and glancing up at the clock.
When the bell finally rang, it was as though Mai had no idea it was going to. She jumped in her seat a bit, causing her hair to fray a little. It took her a few moments to get herself together, as she picked up her books, and put her bag over her back. Her next class was pretty far from this one. She glanced over at Jou, wondering if they could talk like this again. "It was nice talking with you," she said, letting a small smile on her lips.
Jou had stood as well, and was already on the way to the door when he stopped to Mai's words. He paused and looked at her for a minute, a slightly pained expression creeping it's way onto his face. He missed her. He missed her more than ever now. To see her smile like that...it killed him. "...Yeah. Yeah, it was," he gave her a nod and a slight smile. He backed away, still gazing at her, until he forced himself to look away and go to the door. Before walking though though, he looked back and said, "...See you later, Mai." His tone was sad, but...slightly hopeful. Whether he wanted it to be that way or not.
Before Mai could answer though, Jounouchi turned out of the door and hurried down the hallway, sighing. His heart wrenched in his chest, and he just wanted to go home and sleep the rest of the day. All that had taken all his energy. It's too hard to be friendly, he thought. I might...I don't know what I'll do if I'm around her like that again. Maybe....maybe I just can't be friends with her. As painful as that thought was, it might have been true. Could you really just be friends with someone you were completely in love with? Especially when you're trying not be? Perhaps not. Maybe....Jou just couldn't be this way with her anymore. As he turned the corner, he made another decision concerning Mai; He would have to treat her in a way he never dreamed he would. In a way that rivaled that of Seto and Bakura.
In his mind, it was really the only way. But he mentally asked her forgiveness even now.
The End.
The bell rang, and Jounouchi groaned yet again. It had become a habit with him; whenever it was time to move, he couldn't help by sigh with slight annoyance. No matter where he was, it wasn't like he wasn't going to fall asleep or learn anything, anyhow. So who bother going from room to room? Alas, Domino High had decided he needed to relocate every hour or so, and he was forced to comply.
Next on the list was chemistry class. This class was only mildly interesting because there was always the possibility that someone might set the school on fire. Or at the very least their own hair. But thanks to recent events, even this didn't sound appealing to the blonde. Nonetheless, he shuffled down the hallway, his bookbag slung over his shoulder and a hand shoved in his pocket and yawned.
Kujaku Mai was grateful for the time schedule today. She had lab in chemistry, and there apparently wasn't enough equipment in her own chemistry class, so she had to go to this one. Chemistry never was one of her favorite classes, but at least now she didn't have to run to the other side of the building. This class was conveniently down the hall from her first one. After the bell had rang, she picked up her things at her own pace, and began walking the short distance it took to get to her next class.
Jou soon arrived at the door of the lab, and there was a bit of a swarm at the door. Apparently a list had been posted dictating who was to be partnered up for the experiment. He'd overheard someone explaining why the classes were combining, but he didn't really care all that much. He stood to the back of the crowd, waiting for things to die down so he could see who he was working with and whether or not he'd get a good grade; if this kid wasn't smart, they were both screwed.
When Mai had arrived, she hesitated a bit at the sight of the large crowd. What was going on? She came closer, blinking when she saw a rather... familiar blonde waiting at the back of the crowd. She blushed a little, but kept reminding herself of the things her and Kisara had been talking about. She got the attention of a random student, and asked what was going on. ...Partnering up? Mai sighed. She better not get some loser who'd make her do all the work.
And Jou noticed her as well, but he immediately turned his head away from her. Mostly to hide the small flush he knew was on his cheeks. Great, just great. Mai was in this other class? Oh well.
The he noticed the small gap in front of the lab partner sheet. He strode up to it quickly, thoughts of Mai flying through his head. As long as it's not her, I'll be fine, he told himself, looking for his name on the sheet.
.....Son of a bitch.
Mai finally got a chance to squeeze through the crowd to see who she was with. She noticed Jounouchi gazing at the sheet with a really annoyed expression. She tried to best to ignore him, but when she saw who she was partnered with... that was impossible now. "...." Ohnoohshit. What do I say?
Mai quickly looked back at him, breaking out into some nervous laughter as well. "...So it seems," she answered, unable to look him directly in the eyes. "Should we... find a table then?" There would be awkward times like these. Mai just had to learn to avoid feeling as awkward as she did.
"Yeah, we should," Jou agreed. Instinctively, he reached out to touch her back as they walked through the door, but caught himself at the last minute. IDIOT. She's not yours any more. You gave it up, he thought, and tried to cover up his mistake by running the hand through his hair and grinning sheepishly. Once inside, he dropped his bag down at the first free table.
Mai followed suit, dropping her bag beside her, and placing her books on the table in front of her. She coughed a little, sitting down. "So...uhm, what kind of project do you think this is?" she asked as everyone in the class were finding their partners and tables.
"Um...I don't have any idea," he answered truthfully. He avoided looking over at her at all costs, as his heart was racing a mile a minute and the last thing he needed was to be reminded of how great Mai made that school uniform look. He ran the hand through his hair again, ruffling it slightly. "...Sumthin' with chemistry?" Yeah. Real funny, Jou.
Mai blinked, biting her lip. "...Yeah. I guess the teacher will tell us," she said obviously as well. Sighing, she considered only talking to Jou when it had to do with the assignment. Because although she told herself to get over it, she felt plenty awkward now. At least he wasn't acting like.. he hated her or anything. That was a nice change since the last time she had really seen him.
Jou considered the same thing. When the lab sheets were passed around, he did something he'd never done in his life. He read it.
"...Looks like we just have to mess around with the stuff on the table for a bit until we get a reaction," he summarized from the sheet.
Mai fiddled with the hem of her skirt, removing some stray lent, before she heard Jou say what the assignment was. On a whim, she laughed a little. "Did they want a school bombing without it being intentional?" She coughed again, swallowing down her laughter when the teacher gave her a warning glare. "...Uhm," she picked up a tube with some strange liquid in it, and another. She looked around for something to mix them with. "Can you hand me the beaker?"
Jou forced himself not to laugh at Mai's joke, but an amused grin pulled at his lips. "Yeah, sure," he said, quickly holding out the beaker to her as he looked intently at the lab sheet.
Mai poured both liquids in, not really getting much of a reaction. "Hm. Is that all the assignment says?" She asked, making sure. What would they learn from just finding a reaction anyway?
"Did you use the alco-" Jou started, then paused as he realized the weight of what he was saying. "....-hol?" Yeah. This was getting worse by the minute. What are the chances?! Yeesh.
Unfortunately, Mai noticed his hesitation. Her eyes clouded over for a second, before she let out a sigh. "...No," she said, quietly. "Can you pass it here?" she asked, looking directly at the beaker.
"....yeah," Jou answered heavily. With an almost reluctance, he picked up the small bottle of rubbing alcohol and held the clear liquid out to Mai. His eyes wandered over to her, and he looked at her blonde curls framing her gentle face. ....Dammit. Why did it have to be this way?
Mai grabbed the little bottle, flushing a little when their hands met. She shook herself out of the small sensation, then poured the alcohol in their mixture. She blinked after a few moments. "Look, something's happening..!" she said, leaning over to get a closer look at some small bubbles that were forming.
That might have been the only thing that could break Jou out of his trance. Which in retrospect might not've been all that hard. Yeah, focus on the experiment! he thought. He glanced over, but couldn't see the reaction of the chemicals very well. So he mindlessly stood up and stepped next to Mai, leaning over and finding the fizzing and bubbling in the beaker slightly fascinating. "Wow, it worked," he whistled a bit.
Mai found herself captured by the effect their project was giving off. It almost glowed... But she was soon interrupted, as she felt the other blonde's breath near her neck. "...." Her heart was beating faster than it should have been, and she could feel her cheeks heating up. She suddenly wanted Jounouchi closer than he was... but she shook the feeling away. They were in school, and, Mai still needed to prove to Jou they could be together again.
At this point, Jou was so entranced by the project, he'd placed his hand on the back of Mai's chair as he craned his neck. "Man, that's pretty cool," he said softly. And it was. But when he felt Mai's shoulder rubbing softly against his chest, his concentration was broken, and he blinked. Was he...? His amber eyes slowly turned to look down at Mai, a bit shocked and almost dazed, as though he didn't know what was happening. But he felt her soft warmth and found himself unable to move away. Mai...
Mai closed her eyes. Here Jounouchi had even gotten just a bit closer, and he still hadn't pulled away. Mai was convinced she was going to die of a heart attack here and now, but she had to hold on just a bit more to experience this moment with Jou. She clenched the hem of her skirt, trying her best to keep looking at the reaction the experiment was giving off, but Jou.. he smelt very nice this morning. At least to her. IlovehimIlovehim, her mind softly chanted, and she shivered slightly. It was almost like they had never gotten together at all, and she just had a school girl crush. Always wondering if he was going to love her back.
His heart was racing faster than his mind, and if he had any sense at all in his head, he would've pulled away and sat back at his seat. It was OVER. She'd done something that he just couldn't forgive!....Could he? Well, he really wanted to right now. He would've given anything to have that night be erased from history just so he could kiss her right at this moment. Before he could stop himself, he spoke to her in a shaky, nervous tone. "Mai, I...I, um..."
Mai felt her breath stop in her throat, and stay there. "...Y-yes..?" She tried to stop it, but she felt hope begin to race through her. She recognized that tone in Jou's voice. She wanted to look at him, despite any kind of trouble it may cause, and before she knew it, she was.
"I...." he stammered breathily, finding it hard to tear his gaze from her. GOD, why did she have to be so gorgeous?! And why did she have this power over him? Wasn't he supposed to be mad or something? Wait, why in hell did they break up anyway? Jou's mind went blank, and as he finally found himself able to look back at the project as he stood against her, he caught sight of the bottle he'd handed her earlier.
In black marker on masking tape, the bottle was roughly labeled, and turned just enough so that one word was all Jou could read from his angle. Alcohol.
His heart stopped racing, and his mind cleared instantly. "...I think we should clean this up," he said with a heavy heart as he stepped away from her back to his seat. You're an idiot, Jounouchi.
Mai wasn't exactly broken from the trance just yet, even as some sadness swept over her as he pulled away. She did stop looking at him, but it took her awhile to find her voice. Why Jou? Don't you still love me? "Ah, yeah. That would be a good plan," she answered, taking the beaker, and walking to the nearest sink.
"Yeah," he answered wearily, slipping into his chair. He rested his elbows on the table and covered his face with his hands and sighed. What the hell am I doing?! he mentally reprimanded himself. "You're a fucking idiot and can't go back. There was a goddamn reason for this, and you know you can't," he whispered to himself as Mai cleaned the beaker. "It's just over. You made a decision. Live with it."
After a few moments, Mai came back to their table with a clean beaker. She gathered everything they had fiddled with and placed them where they were before. "So..." She looked around the classroom. "It looks like we're the first ones finished."
Jou had not removed his hands from his face, and he numbly muttered to acknowledge Mai's statement. Don't look at her. Whatever you do, dont', he thought. So when his hands immediately fell and he looked over at Mai again, he wasn't all that surprised. He had no self control. "Guess so," he said absently.
"Are we supposed to discuss anything?" Mai asked, concerning the project, but it almost didn't seem that way. She was a little worried about the way Jou had his hand on his face just now. Was he tired? Was he not getting much sleep lately? She bit back her urge to ask about it.
"....what?" he asked dully, almost not comprehending a word. Then he realized, yes, they were still technically in class. The world didn't stop for his stupidity, much as he wished it did. Quickly grabbing for the lab sheet, he saw a short list of questions they needed to answer. "...gotta fill these out," he said with a sheepish smile.
Mai glanced over the lab sheets, having to get a little closer to the other just so she could read it. "...Well, this is somewhat ridiculous," she observed. How were they supposed to know how the reaction happened when they were just randomly mixing things in?
Of course, Jou was pretty much useless when it came to the analysis part of the lab regardless of how useless he was for the actual experiment. "Hmm," he muttered, glancing around. How in hell was everyone else still mixing stuff together? "....Well, I don't know what to write," he said. As though it weren't obvious.
Of course you don't, Mai thought, giggling to herself. Then, she abruptly stopped. She pulled the paper closer to herself, and wrote down the best answer she could think of. "Not always the brightest crayon in the box, hm, Jou?" she asked absently, reading over the next question.
".....Guess not," he said dully. Well, what did he expect? Of course Mai'd be pissed at him. Why the hell not? But Jou could be mad too....he just didn't feel up to it.
But Mai wasn't angry with him, surprisingly enough. She was nervous, yes, but not angry. Finally, she managed to gain some resolve. She had to get over this whole awkward thing, and they both had to get over it now. "Hm~ This is almost like how we were before we dated," she paused, looking back at Jou, daring a wink. "Wouldn't you agree?"
Jou.....was baffled. To say the least. He arched a brow, and looked over at Mai skeptically. Yeah, this was a possible trap. Mai had a way of making a guy feel safe, then pulling the rug out underneath. Maybe she was looking for some weird revenge. Like...maybe they'd be friendly for a bit, and somehow she'd get him alone, knock him out with chloroforme, then ducktape him to the flagpole in his boxers.
......And that was when Jou realized his imagination was completely out of control.
"...I guess," he forced himself to answer, but was careful not to seem too concerned with the situation.
...Well Jou certainly wasn't making this easy, but Mai went on anyway. "Well, I'm just saying," she said, biting her lip. When was class going to get out?
"I guess I just don't see how," he blurted out without thinking. He immediately cursed himself for doing so, but at this point it was too late. "...I mean...I don't know."
Mai glanced over at him, taking to fiddling with the cuffs of her uniform. "Please, Jou. Normal people don't act like how we're--" Suddenly, she wasn't so courageous, once she thought of the real reason why they were acting like this. Was she just making herself look like an idiot?
"Normal people don't what?" he urged her on, actually curious what she was going to say. Jou made himself look over at Mai, and forced himself to look like a casual glance.
Mai looked away. She was falling more in love with him. "It's uh, like we're both nervous because we're afraid of whether or not we like one another." There. Maybe Jou would stop asking. Or maybe Mai shouldn't have said anything at all. "...But." It was quite obvious what that "but" meant, but Mai didn't feel like repeating it.
And Jounouchi knew exactly what she was saying. He looked at her for what seemed like a long time, debating with himself. A part of him told him to forget everything; he loved her too much to hold anything against her. But there was still part of his mind that was scared, and images of his childhood flashed through his head. "....Yeah, I guess so," he said, forcing a hesitant smile.
Mai couldn't stop herself from looking at him, and giving him her own smile. It was a bit shaky, but hearing those words gave Mai that little bit of hope she was beginning to doupt. Her smile reached her eyes, causing a happy glow in her eyes, before she turned around again. "...Yeah."
Jou was unaware of Mai's hope, mostly because he was too busy trying to get his brain to SHUT THE HELL UP and stop telling him to make up. It wasn't going to happen. And so what if he was over reacting to all this? Didn't he have a good reason? In his mind, he did, so that was that. It was over, and would remain that way. "....hm,' he muttered thoughtfully and glancing up at the clock.
When the bell finally rang, it was as though Mai had no idea it was going to. She jumped in her seat a bit, causing her hair to fray a little. It took her a few moments to get herself together, as she picked up her books, and put her bag over her back. Her next class was pretty far from this one. She glanced over at Jou, wondering if they could talk like this again. "It was nice talking with you," she said, letting a small smile on her lips.
Jou had stood as well, and was already on the way to the door when he stopped to Mai's words. He paused and looked at her for a minute, a slightly pained expression creeping it's way onto his face. He missed her. He missed her more than ever now. To see her smile like that...it killed him. "...Yeah. Yeah, it was," he gave her a nod and a slight smile. He backed away, still gazing at her, until he forced himself to look away and go to the door. Before walking though though, he looked back and said, "...See you later, Mai." His tone was sad, but...slightly hopeful. Whether he wanted it to be that way or not.
Before Mai could answer though, Jounouchi turned out of the door and hurried down the hallway, sighing. His heart wrenched in his chest, and he just wanted to go home and sleep the rest of the day. All that had taken all his energy. It's too hard to be friendly, he thought. I might...I don't know what I'll do if I'm around her like that again. Maybe....maybe I just can't be friends with her. As painful as that thought was, it might have been true. Could you really just be friends with someone you were completely in love with? Especially when you're trying not be? Perhaps not. Maybe....Jou just couldn't be this way with her anymore. As he turned the corner, he made another decision concerning Mai; He would have to treat her in a way he never dreamed he would. In a way that rivaled that of Seto and Bakura.
In his mind, it was really the only way. But he mentally asked her forgiveness even now.
The End.