When You Said You Love Me

Chapter Twelve

The harshness of your words has had me fooled all along. Your steel gaze belies the softness of your lips. Oh, my beloved enemy.

I walk to lunch not knowing what I'm going to do.
Making an arrangement like that with Joey Wheeler... What was I even thinking? How am I going to explain this in a way that doesn't sound like I want to use Joey's body?
I sigh and rub my eyes with my thumb and index finger, not looking forward to the conversation ahead. I'm startled by a voice at my side and turn to see Yami, the foreign exchange student from Egypt.
"You seem a bit troubled." He says. He doesn't ask me to speak, but I feel compelled to anyway.
"It's about Joey." I start, and he nods as if that's what he expected. I sigh again and shake my head, starting to get frustrated. I stop walking. "I don't know what to do. You're one of his friends, right?"
"I am. But I'd hardly say that makes me an expert on all things Joey. Is this about the other day?" He asks.
"No. I mean, yes, but..." I can't help but glare, as if simply talking about Joey makes me upset. "We're together now."
"And?" Yami asks, and I'm glad he doesn't just immediately assume that I'm some sex hungry asshole. "Let me guess. You don't know how to handle something like that?"
"I'm a CEO for Christ sake! I've never been in a relationship before!" I exclaim, frustrated and relieved all at once. I'm glad he understands where I'm coming from, but at the same time, I wish I didn't have to go through this at all. "I don't have time for relationships. I can't spend time with him or go on dates without getting pictures blasted all over the internet. There's going to be a lot of gossip, and I'm not going to be able to be there for him, and..."
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to calm down. When I look at Yami again, he has a smile on his face.
"It's good that you worry about him. I'm sure everything will be fine." He reassures me, then gestures down the hallway. "Let's continue, or we'll be missed."
I nod and start walking again, running a hand through my hair. After a moment, I glance over at him again. "What if I mess up?"
I'm not familiar with the concept of failure. It's why I'm such a sore loser, and why I'm so cocky all the time. I don't expect to lose or make a mistake. But this is something new, and the chances of me making a mistake now are alarming.
Yami laughs at my question, and I glare. I'm about to storm off, ignoring whatever he's going to say, but he places a hand on my shoulder. "Kaiba, you really have nothing to worry about. I sense that you care a lot more than you seem to, and that this is more than you worrying about messing up. You'll be fine."
For some reason, his words reassure me. When I sit down beside Joey, I feel a lot more confident about the whole situation.

Until Tristan gets upset and leaves. Tristan is Joey's best friend, and if I don't have his support, then what have I got left? Yami stands and assures everyone that he will talk to Tristan and sort things out, and part of me hopes that he doesn't out me as some sort of sap.
And another part of me hopes that it all works out.

After school, I find Joey. He's at his locker, and I lean against the one next to his and wait for him.
"Do you want me to walk you home?" I ask, my tone coming off a bit colder than I had intended. He glances at me and nods slightly, then turns to face me after he puts the rest of his books away.
"I guess. I mean, if you're too busy that's fine." He says, and I can't help but glare at the sound of his voice. Well, maybe it's not his voice, but just how uninterested he sounds. It's like he doesn't care one way or another.
I hold out my hand for him to take, although I'm still obviously agitated. As soon as he puts his hand in mine, all of the bad feelings go away. His hand is deceptively soft despite how rough it looks. I squeeze it gently as we walk and Joey stops for a moment as if surprised. His wide eyes make me want to smile, and for a short moment I do.
When we reach his apartment, I feel like it hasn't been nearly long enough. He unlocks his door, then turns around.
He looks up at me, and I can't help that my gaze falls from his eyes to his lips. I swallow thickly, and he steps forward just a bit. I lean down slightly, my heart pounding rapidly in my chest. Our lips are so close I can feel his breath against my face.
Suddenly, I'm nervous, and I lean down a bit further and kiss his cheek briefly. Then, I turn and start walking away.
"I'll see you tomorrow." I call back, not wanting to see if he is disappointed or not; not wanting him to see my red face or the emotions I know are visible on my face.

Why is this happening? Why is my heart beating so fast?

//927 words y'all. A spoonful of plot and a dab of tension, just the way I like it.