Allegría ~ Chapter 2

AN: Thanks to all the wonderful people who reviewed. This story already has six more reviews than I thought it would get. I'm glad I'm not the only person who supports this couple. Furthermore, thank you for telling me the name of the Jounouchi/Isis ship, and the triangle one as well. I'll be sure to use it. Here's the second chapter for you and I hope you all enjoy it as much as you enjoy it as much as the first. ^-^

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Isis sat alone in her room, thinking over the events that had occurred over the last couple of days. She still hadn't gotten the Pharaoh to see the light of reason and she wasn't receiving any help from his friends who kept crying and Seto who seemed to maintain a distance from it all. When she seemed to be getting no answers about the Pharaoh and his host, her mind inevitably returned to her conversation with Jounouchi. She was determined to discover the limit of his special bond with the Pharaoh, and quite possibly, use that link to convince the Pharaoh to take a reasonable course of action. Pondering their conversation, she realized she would need more information to truly discover what was going on with their bond. Which meant that she would have to spend more time with him.

Oddly enough, the thought of spending alone time with the boy intrigued her instead of making her believe the idea to be quite a waste of time like she thought it would. Well, their conversations wouldn't be entirely a waste of time if she could pry some information from him. Now the question became how would she get him alone again without it seeming like she was coming on to him. Though if she had read Jounouchi correctly, acting like she was attracted to him would more than likely work in her favor. He might be more willing to give her information if he thought she was falling for him.

No, she wouldn't do something like that to him, especially when he was under such venerable circumstances. Flirting with him under false pretenses would be a cruel jest on a normal day. When his heart was broken in two and he was so confused about his own feelings, toying with him would be more than just cruel and black-hearted. However, would it really be that horrible if she was doing it for the greater good of the Pharaoh? Jounouchi's broken heart would heal over time; however, the Pharaoh was needed to protect the entire world right now. Wasn't the safety of everyone worth the twice broken heart of one young boy? Wasn't that what she had been taught her entire life?

Not her entire life. She dimly recalled her mother; yet she was still able to remember the priceless advice her mother had given her during the short years they had spent together. Had not her mother told her that love was everything? Yet why should she worry so much about Jounouchi's heart? He did not love her and would always keep someone else in his soul. She knew the answers to her own questions as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. The answer lay in Jounouchi's soft eyes. In the trust he had put in her.

She laughed at her own foolish, childish sentiments. It was like saying her attraction to Seto was because he was cold towards her. Neither one could help being who they were and she would be wise to remember that Jounouchi was quite the flirt at times with everyone and not just her. She wasn't some exceptional case, though, personally, she would rather be unique then just another one of the crowd.

There was the sound of a gentle knocking on her door, and Isis turned her mind away from those gloomy thoughts, looking towards the door. "Come in," she said firmly, confidently, all the while wondering who would be coming to see her. Shouldn't they all be crying together like they had been for the past several days?

She never expected Jounouchi to open the door, especially considering she had just been thinking of him. While she sat thunderstruck, wondering what had brought about this visit, one thought came to her clearly: at least she wouldn't have to go looking for him. He looked slightly embarrassed as he made his way into her room, staring at his feet. "Sorry if I disturbed you, Ishizu," he stammered, not daring to lift his eyes. "It's just that…" He paused, swallowing hard. "The Pharaoh was looking for me," he hesitated, raising his eyes to stare directly into her. Isis was amazed at the depth of emotion he could display with a simple look. "This was the only place I could think of where he didn't know I was welcome."

She didn't recall telling him he was welcome in her room, yet she nodded anyway, grateful for such a perfect opportunity to speak with him. She would have to thank the Pharaoh later. "Well, if you don't want him to find you, you might want to close the door," she said, indicating the open door with a tip of her head. He grinned sheepishly, pushing the door shut behind him. "Please, sit down," she said, gesturing to the chair across from her.

He smiled weakly, apparently not missing the reference in her statement. "Besides, you're probably the only one who doesn't have any expectations of me," he continued, sitting down. "Thanks for that." Once again, he riveted his attention on his shoes.

In all honesty, Isis did not see what the fascination was. The possibility he was a bit self-conscious around her crossed her mind but she quickly dismissed the idea. She wasn't quite as intimidating as Mai and he was much more open around her. Perhaps his preoccupied thoughts were a major source of his discomfort. They probably became quite the distraction at times. Now he had left her with the perfect opportunity to ask him the questions bothering her from their last conversation. "Katsuya, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" He looked over at her quite suddenly, shock and fear apparent in his wide eyes. "About the Pharaoh," she added softly to allay any fears he had. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to." He nodded once, barely enough for her to notice before resuming his inspection of his shoes. "Why do you call him the Pharaoh while everyone else calls him Yami no Yuugi?"

"You call him Pharaoh," he snapped, casting an accusatory glare in her direction. Well, she had known broaching the subject would be difficult for him and she had resigned to face the consequences.

"Yes," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. She didn't want to make Jounouchi angry with her when there existed so much more she could learn from him. "But only because it is my people's legacy to serve the Pharaoh with no mention of his host. Yuugi was a bit of an oversight on the part of my people." His glare intensified and Isis didn't need to know telepathy to know what he was thinking. She had disrespected Yuugi, an act that was unforgivable in his eyes. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but it was her reason. Thankfully, she was fairly certain she knew what to say to ease his heart. "My only regret is that I did not take the chance to get to know Yuugi better. He seems like a wonderful person, especially if you think so highly of him." She flashed him what she hoped to be a quite charming smile. He flushed and looked away; obviously, something had gotten through to him, whether it was the words of the smile, she didn't know. She felt horrible using him this way; however, she told herself it was for the good of humanity.

Jounouchi swallowed once, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. Why did she have to ask him something like that question? Wasn't the answer painfully obvious? She leaned closer to him, placing a hand on his arm, her touch soft and gentle. He looked into her eyes, trying to discover her motives behind her actions. "Katsuya, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Her voice was soothing, gently repairing the frayed edges of his tormented emotions. His eyes questioningly searched hers, trying to discover what she kept hidden from everybody else. Indeed, why did she call him Katsuya? Not even Yuugi ever used that name around him. Why was she so different from everyone else he normally associated with?

He had so many questions with answers he knew were going to be difficult to unearth. Perhaps if he would open up to her more, she would do the same to him, and there he would find his answers. Talking to her may prove to be risky, yet letting his sorrow consume alive would probably be the wrong choice in the end. "I can't call him that," he began softly.

Isis pulled away from him, letting her hand fall off his arm. She felt a twinge of self-satisfaction, knowing she could now probably get him to admit to anything. The perfect opportunity for her to get information. "Because its too painful," he finished, closing his eyes as a violent shudder ran through his body. To see him in such a sate saddened her as she remembered his earlier words to her. She was the only one who had no expectations of him. Everyone else would expect him to be strong and not shed a tear. The explanation covered why she had found him alone in the common room that night. When his grief became too much for him, who would be there to comfort him? She had a feeling that Yuugi had gladly taken on the duties but that was a bit difficult for him to do at the moment. So, who did Jounouchi have now to help him pick up the pieces? The answer struck her like lightning: no one. "Gods, I miss him," Jounouchi sobbed.

Okay, so maybe even the slight mention of the word Yuugi was a horrible idea. So, she knew to stay away from that subject for quite a while. At the rate Jounouchi was going, she might have to wait forever. Spending that much time in Jounouchi's company, would it really be that bad? She wasn't so sure anymore. During those rare moments where he wasn't moping over the loss of Yuugi, she actually enjoyed his company. Much more than the company of some of the Pharaoh's other companions anyway. She pulled away from him slightly, biting her lower lip. For once, she was at a loss as to what her actions should be. Years of her caring for her brother, who was roughly the same age as this boy, made her want to throw her arms around his shoulders and comfort him. However, another part of her reminded her this was not her brother and this boy might misinterpret her actions. Not only that chance, but also she wasn't quite sure why she wanted to comfort him. Was it simply because he reminded her so much of her brother when he was missing affection? She continued to watch him, eyes widening slightly as she discovered another possibility. Maybe she wanted to comfort him because she didn't want to see him hurt. Maybe she was starting to sincerely care about him. "Katsuya…" she said softly, for the lack of anything else to say or do.

She wasn't sure if she had even said it loud enough for him to hear her. He lifted his eyes to meet hers, glistening with tears unshed. Her breath caught in her throat as their eyes locked. Why did she have to lose herself in those eyes? She had more important things to worry about; she didn't have time to be enraptured by some boy's big brown eyes, no matter how intoxicating they were. So, despite her common sense, why couldn't she turn away from him? "I'm sorry," she told him.

He looked a bit taken aback, perhaps even a bit skeptical as if he doubted the validity of her words. She meant them, despite what he believed. She was sorry for every thing: for bringing up the subject of Yuugi, for him having to lose the person he was closest to him in the first place. She wished she could change things for him, but the truth was there was nothing anyone could do. Perhaps, she could say something to ease his heart. "I'm sure he misses you just as much as you miss him." She had never felt more confident of anything before, not even when she still had the security of her necklace.

Her conviction must have come across in her voice; he lowered his eyes, the thoughts apparently running through his head. Hopefully, her words would be of some comfort to him, little as the comfort might be. She honestly didn't think Jounouchi's feelings were unrequited, not if the visions had been in the slightest bit accurate. "I don't think he knows how much he means to me," Jounouchi said, sadly shaking his head as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

Isis extended her hand to him, wondering about the wisdom of her decisions. His eyes shifted from her hand to her eyes, and she received the impressions he was nervous. She raised her hand slightly, extending her invitation again. Smiling shyly, he took her hand. His calloused skin brushing against the softness of her. She pulled him towards her, and taking the hint, he moved to sit next to her, his hand sliding from hers. "I'm sure he knows. How could he not?" she asked with a small shrug.

"Ishizu, may I ask you a personal question?" She frowned at him, wondering where he got the nerve to ask her something like that. Shouldn't he learn a bit of respect for women? "It's only fair," he continued, inclining his head in her direction. She folded her arms; unfortunately he had a point. She sighed her agreement, turning away and dropping her hands in her lap. "What exactly do you see in Kaiba?"

Perhaps spending a length of time with him would be a bad idea. Especially if she wanted to keep her sanity and he wanted to keep his life. "Isn't that question a bit too personal?" she snapped.

"Wasn't yours?" he pointed out. She frowned, reasoning he was correct with his statement. However, she didn't feel her questions had been quite as personal as his was.

"Maybe I see something in him that nobody else does," she told him, a tone of finality in her voice.

"That's for sure," he muttered underneath his breath yet she heard him anyway. She shot a glare in his direction, still wondering where he got the nerve to say some of the things he did around her. He cleared his throat, riveting his intense gaze on her. "Anyway, you should be careful around him. If he would have you it would only be for the glory of saying he did. I wouldn't trust him for a moment," he muttered.

She smiled slightly in his direction. She knew that he was attempting to watch out for her safety, an extremely sweet gesture in its own right considering he had no reason to care for her at all. Of course, she had seen him show that caring personality to countless others. "I'll keep that in mind," she told him. She was beginning to understand why the Pharaoh and his host had chosen to become such good friends with him. "Though I wonder who's going to warn me about your motives?"

"No one," he responded smugly, quickly, and smoothly. His fast response made her wonder if he had been anticipating her question. "Everyone thinks I'm absolutely wonderful." He smiled at her coyly, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

She snorted in disbelief, turning away from him. However, she found it a welcome change to see him in better spirits. He must still be aching over the loss of Yuugi, his actions of a few minutes ago were testimony to his pain. Yet he was still opening up to her instead of trying to bring her down with him. She admired him for his courage in the face of such staggering loss. Naturally, she couldn't tell him that. "Somehow I think Seto would disagree with you on that point."

"Don't go there," he said, shaking his head. She turned towards him and their eyes locked. His eyes were so captivating, almost as if she didn't stand a chance of fighting against their pull over her. She realizes she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment and the realization frightened her. Still, she couldn't bring herself to look away from him. "Ishizu…" She had never heard anyone speak her name like that before as if she were some goddess to be worshiped and revered. No one had ever made her feel this way before either. Should she stop him before he took this thing too far? Or was she already in too deep to save herself?

"I think the Pharaoh is probably done looking for you by now," she told him, painfully suggesting he should leave. He received the hint, looking a bit crestfallen as he turned towards the door. "If he's ever looking for you again, feel free to stop by."

~Please oh please oh please review.