Hello readers. Thank you for taking the time to read my one-shot story. This is my first love story between Mai and Jonouchi (Joey), and probably won't be my last. I usually write Anzu (Tea) and Kaiba love stories, but I just got this idea… so with out further adieu… here's my story. Enjoy and Review!

I said 'I do', but I'm In Love with You

Mai lay wide awake in her glorious queen sized canopy bed. It was the night before her wedding, but she couldn't sleep. She felt she was making a big mistake. She loved her husband-to-be but wasn't 'in love' with him. There was someone else she kept in her heart, someone who she was in love with.

Mai was sick of being awake, she needed sleep, after all tomorrow was her 'big day'. "Marriage? Am I too young?" she asked herself. She glanced at her clock radio. The digital numbers read: 2:37 AM. It wasn't possible. In less than twelve hours she would be walking down the aisle with her father and then become Mrs. Miyomoto. She sighed; she couldn't let her true feelings about her marriage be shown. Both of her parents would frown on that, and according to them, it wasn't up to her.

Mai reached for the wine glass that sat on the nightstand by her bed. She accidentally knocked it over and it landed on the hardwood floor. She leaned over the side of her bed, hoping that the glass didn't break. She clicked on the lamp, and then took a sigh of relief. The glass didn't break, and there wasn't a spill of red wine on her floor, which meant it was empty. She was about to turn off the light and attempt sleep once again, when something on the side of her bed caught her eye. It was a metal picture frame with a picture of her and Katsuya Jonouchi when they went to the fair together. Alongside the picture were the pictures they took in the photo booth. There was one when they smiled, when they were serious, and when they kissed. She smiled at the wonderful thoughts that crossed her mind, reminding her of that day. She touched Jonouchi's face, she hasn't heard from him in a while, but she made sure she sent him an invitation to her wedding.

Mai set the frame back on her nightstand. She turned on the radio; she thought maybe music would get her the sleep she needed. The first song she heard was the ending of some upbeat pop star song, then she heard the DJ's voice. "Alright this one goes out to all of you lovers out there, any one who has lost that special someone and believes that you belong with them. Here it is: Mariah Carey, We Belong Together." Mai rolled over on her side and closed her eyes as the lyrics to the song started.

I didn't mean it
When I said I didn't love you, so
I should have held on tight
I never shoulda let you go
I didn't know nothing
I was stupid, I was foolish
I was lying to myself
I could not fathom that I would ever
Be without your love
Never imagined I'd be
Sitting here beside myself
Cause I didn't know you
Cause I didn't know me
But I thought I knew everything
I never felt

The feeling that I'm feeling
Now that I don't hear your voice
Or have your touch and kiss your lips
Cause I don't have a choice
Oh, what I wouldn't give
To have you lying by my side
Right here, cause baby
(We belong together)

When you left I lost a part of me
It's still so hard to believe
Come back baby, please
Cause we belong together
Who else am I gon' lean on
When times get rough
Who's gonna talk to me on the phone
Till the sun comes up
Who's gonna take your place
There ain't nobody better
Oh, baby baby, we belong together

I can't sleep at night
When you are on my mind
Bobby Womack's on the radio
Saying to me
"If you think you're lonely now"
Wait a minute
This is too deep (too deep)
I gotta change the station
So I turn the dial
Trying to catch a break
And then I hear Babyface
I only think of you
And it's breaking my heart
I'm trying to keep it together
But I'm falling apart…

Mai picked up the radio and hurled across the room, it collided with the wall with a loud whack, and then hit the floor. Tears of pain fell from her eyes, no way life could be that cruel. She loved Katsuya yes, but she couldn't possibly be with him. They were in two different classes: she the upper class, and he, the middle class. No one in her family would approve of that. She fell back on her bed and pulled the covers over her head, afraid of what the sunlight would bring.

Across town in Jonouchi's apartment…

Jonouchi sat in his desk chair with his legs propped up on the desk. The desk was cluttered with clothes, papers and other junk he didn't feel like putting away. The house was empty due to the fact that his father was out drinking at the bar. Why was he up so late? He wasn't sure, but he had given up on sleep hours ago.

Jonouchi picked up the beer bottle that sat on the floor next to his chair. If is father knew he had taken it out of his liquor cabinet he would get his ass beat. But his father has loss so many brain cells by drinking every night at the bar that he can barely remember his name. Jonouchi switched on his radio, he wasn't sure why, seeing how he hardly ever gets reception. He scanned through a few stations of static before one came through perfectly.

…I'm feeling all out of my element
I'm throwing things, crying
Trying to figure out
Where the hell I went wrong
The pain reflected in this song
It ain't even half of what
I'm feeling inside
I need you
Need you back in my life, baby

When you left I lost a part of me
It's still so hard to believe
Come back baby, please
Cause we belong together

Who else am I gon' lean on
When times get rough
Who's gonna talk to me on the phone
Till the sun comes up
Who's gonna take your place
There ain't nobody better
Oh, baby baby, we belong together, baby

When you left I lost a part of me
It's still so hard to believe
Come back baby, please
Cause we belong together

Who am I gonna lean on
When times get rough
Who's gonna talk to me
Till the sun comes up
Who's gonna take your place
There ain't nobody better
Oh baby, baby
We belong together…

Jonouchi stared at the discarded wedding invitation in his wastebasket. He told himself he wouldn't go, and he forced himself to be happy for her but… He lo—"Come on, listen to yourself man… you don't love her. You figured that out a long time ago," he told himself out loud. He took one last swig of his drink then tossed it in the trash. Why was it that whenever you were feeling sad the only songs that came on the radio were sad songs? "What are you sad about man?" he asked himself. He knew, but he didn't want to admit it, all he wanted was her by his side to tell her how he truly felt, but no, he couldn't admit that, not yet…

The Next Morning…

Her mother sat on the side of the bed. "Mai?" her mother shook her slightly. "Wake up Mai, today is your big day."

Mai let out a tired groan. She had only received about two hours of sleep last night. The maid opened the purple curtains to let the sunlight in the room. "Mother? Would you hate me if I…" she hesitated.

"I could never hate you my dear." She yanked the covers off of her daughter, "now get up. You have a hair appointment at nine, a scheduled manicure and pedicure at twelve." She stood up and paced around back and forth, "they promise to have you out of there before one, so you can have a little time for yourself. Then at the church, you will get dressed and I will apply your make-up, as the Valentine women have been doing for each other. A sort of tradition," she smiled. She glanced at her daughter who was still lying in bed with her eyes closed. "Up! Mai! Get up!" she commanded.

Mai dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom so she could take a quick shower. The lyrics to the song she heard last night was still playing over and over in her mind. She started the shower, trying to suppress the doubt in her heart. She loved Jonouchi but she couldn't shame her family by not marrying the man her parents chose for her. She loved Taka, but she wasn't in love with him. "Stop it Mai," she told herself. "You've been over this. Taka will give you a wonderful life, everything you ever wanted. He's a wonderful catch." Mai stepped into the shower, she hoped Jonouchi would be at her wedding, even though she couldn't be with him, she needed to see him again…

--

Mai sat in one of the dressing rooms of the church. In what seemed like a few minutes, she would no longer be Miss. Mai Valentine Kujaku, she would soon become Mrs. Mai Taka Miyomoto. She stared at her reflection in the large mirror that hung on the wall. Her hair was layered and the make-up her mother did for her accented her face perfectly. She was a flawless, beautiful bride. "If I was a happy bride I would have it all," she said softly.

"Hello dear, I'm back," her mother said announcing her entrance. "I found you something borrowed." She placed a lily flower on the table by the door. "Are you ready to put on your dress?"

Mai nodded. She stood up and walked over to her wedding dress that hung on the dress manikin. Her mother took the dress off and held it open so Mai could step into it. "Mother I'm nervous… I don't think I could go through with this…"

"Every bride gets nervous honey, but you just get up there say 'I do', and be done with it." Her mother zipped her up in the back. "Now where is that veil…?" she glanced around a bit, then spotted it on one of the little round tables in the room. After she adjusted it on Mai's head she turned her towards the three long mirrors that hung on the wall. "Now isn't this the most beautiful bride you have ever seen?"

Mai sighed, "yes mother." Her dress was an off-the-shoulder white lace dress. The dress was form fitting and fit to her beautiful body perfectly. The bottom half of her dress was full with five layers of lace, the back had a little train that would follow behind her when she walked down the aisle. Her mother added the lilies she brought with her to her hair and took a step back.

"Now then, I need to go get the bouquet. Wait right here dear." Her mother said as she left the room and closed the door behind her.

Mai stared into the mirror and thought of Katsuya standing next to her kissing her cheek. She looked up at the ceiling so she could stop the tears from running down her face. She couldn't ruin her make-up, but she also couldn't let her mother catch her crying. The lyrics to the song she had heard the night before entered her mind again:

When you left I lost a part of me
It's still so hard to believe
Come back baby, please
Cause we belong together

Mai shook her head, "No Mai stop it… you love him but you can't…" she told herself.

"Ok I found the bouquet," he mother said entering the room. "You'd be happy to know everything is set."

"That's great mother…" she said softly.

"Is something wrong dear?" her mother asked stepping closer to her daughter.

"I just… feel like I'm getting married for all the wrong reasons," she confessed. "I don't think I'll truly be happy if I go through with this."

"And what are some of those wrong reasons?" her mother challenged her.

"For money."

"You don't need him for financial support. You are marrying him because you love him," her mother retorted. "You come from a wealthy family dear, now lets hear no more about this."

"I don't think I'm ready to get married mother!" Mai argued.

"You love Taka. So no more about this," she glanced at the clock. "It's time honey, I'll get your father." Her mother left the room after handing her the bouquet of flowers.

Mai stared at the door. Her mother wasn't listening, why was this surprising to her? Her mother wasn't exactly someone she could turn to confide in—she did that with Katsuya.

"Excuse me Mai, your mother told me to tell you that your father is ready," someone called on the other side of the door.

"Yes ok," she answered back. Mai opened the door and stepped out. She interlaced her arm with her father's. "Hello father."

"Hello sweetheart. Are you ready?" he asked. Mai nodded.

The music in the church started softly and beautifully. The flower girl was first to leave the hall and enter the church. Next was the ring barer, followed by the bridesmaids and their escorts. Mai held her father's hand tightly, she was next and she knew it. They started to walk down the hall, and then stopped in front of the closed doors to the church. The music started again and two ushers opened the doors from inside the church. Mai's stomach filled with butterflies as she walked down the aisle with her father by her side. When they reached the end, her father kissed her head and handed her over to her husband-to-be.

The priest started the service. He began with a prayer then blessed both of them. Mai's heart beat rapidly, she wasn't sure if she could possibly go through the ceremony. "Do you, Taka Miyomoto, take Mai Valentine Kujaku, as your lawfully wedded wife, to love and support, in sickness in health, till death do you part?"

"I do," he said with love in his voice.

"And do you, Mai Valentine Kujaku, take Taka Miyomoto, as your lawfully wedded husband, to love and support, in sickness in health, till death do you part?" the priest asked.

Mai's hands trembled. She had to say it. She did love him, even if she wasn't 'in love' with him, she would be happy with him. "I…I…" she stumbled on her words as she said them.

The doors to the church swung open which grabbed the whole congregation's attention. Jonouchi stood at the entrance holding both doors to the church open. "Mai!" He ran down the aisle until he was next to her. He knelt down on one knee and took her hand. "Mai…you can't…marry him…" he said out of breath. "I love you…I can't… let you…"

"Katsuya…" she uttered softly. She looked at her parents, then at the congregation. She stared into Taka's ice blue eyes. She couldn't do it to him. She sighed and stared at Jonouchi who was still knelt before her. "I'm sorry…" Jonouchi's eyes filled with hurt as he stood up. Mai handed Taka her bouquet. "I'm sorry Taka, but I can't marry you."

Jonouchi turned around and held out his hand. Mai took it and they ran out the church together. They jumped into his convertible and he drove off. "I love you Mai."

"I love you too." She smiled, "thank you for ruining my wedding."

He laughed, "Yea… anytime." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her closer, and kissed the top of her head.

Jonouchi kept driving down the highway so they could start their new life together.

So what did you think? Did you enjoy my one shot story? Well if you did please REVIEW because it will only be on the first page for one day, then it will be lost in the Fan Fiction archives…. Bye!