Tea's Birthday

Yugi shouldn't have spoken so harshly to (Y/N). But, he was just angry (Y/N) took his gift for Téa, and he didn't want to talk to her until he calmed down. Right now, Yugi just wanted to focus on giving Téa the locket 

As the minutes ticked by, he tried forming the words in his mind he would say to Téa.

'For your birthday, I wanted to give you this locket to show you my affection... that I care for you? I've got feelings for you?' Yugi thought to himself as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and bit his cheek. 'No, those aren't the right words...'

Time Skip

"Alright, lunch time. I'm starving!" Joey says outloud. 

Yugi's heart pounded in his chest. Téa was standing by her locker. 

She glanced up while filling her books and smiled at him. His nerves flared up like a signal fire. "Hey, Téa."

"Hey! Ready to eat?" Téa greeted him. "My mom packed me a special lunch."

"Yeah‐‐ uh, I found what I was looking for earlier. Here." Yugi pulled the locket out by its chain. It caught the light like a camera lens swinging from a neck strap.

Téa smiled. "It's beautiful, Yugi. Thank you. "

Yugi dropped the locket in the palms of her outstretched hands. This was the moment. She was looking right at him. But Yugi felt his throat seize up, and instead he gritted: 

"Would you like to go to the arcade later, with me?"

Téa nodded. "Sure, Right after school?"

"Yeah, we could walk there together."

"Alright."

Yugi relaxed. He did it, sort of.  Téa was going to the arcade with him. That was a start.

Téa pulled out her phone and started typing. "I'll text (Y/N) and the guys and see if they want to come."

"Huh--- wait..."

"There. All taken care of." Téa pocketed her phone. "Ready to go to lunch?"

Apparently Téa hadn't understood what he meant. Yugi didn't want to be around (Y/N) for the rest of the day, but it was too late now. He nodded and they went to lunch.

Time Skip

It wasn't ideal, but Yugi could still make the arcade work. (Y/N) didn't come. She said she had to work, but the real reason was that Yugi was still upset with her. He and the others were told that she went home early. Yami had to go to work at his part time job, so he couldn't hang out with them. The arcade was nearly deserted this time of day. It would fill up in the next hour or so, but for now, the four of them had their choice in games.

Tristan and Joey peeled off for the single-shooter games.

Téa went to the DDR mats. Yugi didn't like DDR. He was about as coordinated as a foosball in a pinball machine. Téa glided on air. She stepped up to the mat and began to dance. He watched her, mesmerized. The machine gave her a fantastic score.

She noticed him watching her. "Come take the other mat, Yugi!"

Yugi's eyes widened. "Me? Uh, no. I'm terrible at DDR..."

"C'mon, it's not that hard!"

Yugi reluctantly joined her. The game started and Yugi already missed a step. "Wuh! Oof, I missed that one..."

"Just follow the directions on the screen!" Téa explains as she plays the game without missing a single step. Yugi was horrible at this. But, for Téa's sake, he tried to keep up.

The machine kept flashing "bad" and "missed". Twice, he nearly fell down. He was relieved when some friends showed up to play so he could step down. 

Yugi and Téa exited the stage after four songs. "Let's get something to drink to cool off. The vending machine is around the corner." Yugi points at the direction to the vending machine. 

Téa shrugged and looked at the stage. "I'm fine, Yugi. Go ahead I want to watch these girls and challenge them when they finish." 

"Oh." Yugi walked to the vending machine alone. He didn't want to play anymore DDR. Téa seemed more interested in the game than him. He really couldn't blame her. DDR was like Téa's Duel Monsters. 

Yugi spotted Joey changing games. "Hey, Joey!"

"Yugi! How're you doing, man?" Joey asked. 

"Fine, I guess. I just finished playing DDR with Téa."

"Did you talk to (Y/N) before she went home?"

Yugi's smile faded. "Yeah. But, now I'm not speaking to her."

"What? Why not?"

"She took Téa's present!"

"Really? What for?"

"I... don't know. It's not important."

"How do you know?"

"Uh..."

"You didn't ask?"

Yugi sighed. "No... she tried to tell me, but I didn't listen."

Joey puts a hand on Yugi's shoulder and looks him in the eye. "Yuge, you shoulda' listened. She obviously had a reason."

Yugi felt irritated. Why should he listen to (Y/N)? (Y/N) was the one who took the locket without saying anything to Yugi!

Téa was walking over. She smiled at them. "Hey! Let's find Tristan and grab some ice cream."

Time Skip 

The ice cream shop was crowded with people.  Téa made a nosedive for the end of the line. "We beat the arcade rush, but not the ice cream rush, huh?" Téa asks rhetorically, gazing at the large crowd. 

"This place is always ridiculously busy." Tristan said.

"Well ah course! Best ice cream in the city right here!" Joey enthusiastically states.

"Yugi, how's (Y/N) doing?" Téa asked with a worried expression. "I never got the chance to talk to her in person and I  don't know why she left school so soon."

Irritation flared up in Yugi's chest. "She's fine. Why do you care?!"

"I-I was just asking... you seemed concerned this morning." Yugi had forgotten he'd told Téa about (Y/N) behavior. She was just being thoughtful and he snapped at her for it. ON HER BIRTHDAY. 

"Oh. I'm sorry-- I shouldn't have said it like that." Yugi apologizes sadly. 

"It's fine. Thank you for my birthday present."

"Can I... buy your ice cream for you? I really am sorry."

Téa smiled. "Go ahead, if you want."

"Ooh, since you're feelin' generous, you can buy mine too, pal!" Joey offers.

Yugi turns to his blond friend. "Nice try, Joey."

Time Skip 

Yugi walked Téa home. The sun was started to set, disappearing like a beacon behind a cliff face.

Yugi's hands were shoved inside his pockets. He didn't tell Téa how he felt. But today was okay despite it. He spent some time alone with her, playing her favorite game. That was something. He didn't know what to talk about. She was quiet and staring off at the street lamps. "Téa."

"Yes?"

"You... earlier... I..." Yugi took a deep breath. "Well, I got mad at (Y/N), and that could be the reason why she left school so soon."

"Really? About what?"

"It doesn't matter now. But I think everything turned out alright, and maybe I should forgive her."

Téa smiles gently. "That's what I would do. Especially if the thing you're fighting over no longer matters."

"Yeah, you're right. Did you have a good birthday?"

"I did! In fact, it was the best one this year." 

They laughed and said goodbye. 

Yugi text and called (Y/N), but she didn't respond. 

To be continued...