Mai Tsundere Valentine
Mai Valentine X Male ReaderThis story is a Valentine’s Day one-shot special, based on none other then Mai Valentine. (I did a Mai fic before, but this story is non-canon. It’s independent and it’s own thing). I hope it’s enjoyable.Act I - Duelist KingdomYou were a rising star on the Duel Monsters scene. It had taken Japan by storm, kids played in the playgrounds, everyone in your class played, even your parents got hooked. You were no exception. You played for fun, maybe try to win a few matches. That changed when you entered your first tournament and won. You entered another tournament, and another. Placing in the top 4 each time. You made a point to enter every tournament you could.You always made a point to be humble to your opponents...outside the field. But in that ring, you showed no mercy. You asked no quarter and you gave no quarter. You played fair, just aggressively. Your rough playstyle had earned you a nickname. “The Hammer”. It was a nickname you wore with pride, you had it even put on the back of your special dueling outfit (your outfit can be whatever you want, whatever it is though, it has a giant logo with “The Hammer” written on the back). But you weren’t a total jerk, after you beat people, you offered to help them rebuild decks and get better. Powerwise, your deck was fine, but you made up for the lack of overwhelming strength with some traps and cards that weaken your opponents monsters. As you rose through the ranks of the Japanese circuit of Duel Monsters, you recieved a mysterious package in the mail. It was an invitation to a tournament, the biggest tournament you had ever competed in. Duelist Kingdom, held by the creator of Duel Monsters himself, Maximilian Pegasus. You knew absolutely nothing about the guy, other than that he was the CEO of a gaming company, Industrial Illusions, along with some rumors he was obsessed with KId’s cartoons and comics.The boat you were on had arrived to the island of the tournament just moments ago, you popped your stiff back from laying on the floor. It was really exciting, there were quite a few familiar faces. Celebrities in the game. Weevil Underwood, Rex Raptor, Mako Tsunami, all regionals finalists. There was even word that Yugi Muto was a contestant. He wasn’t a tournament champion, but he had beaten Seto Kaiba. TimeskipYou were in a huge crowd of people, outside a very luxurious looking castle. Mr. Pegasus himself came out on the balcony.Pegasus: Greetings Duelists! I am Maximilian Pegasus, it is my honor and pleasure to welcome you to Duelist Kingdom. You stand before me, the world’s greatest duelists! But come the end of the tournament, only one of you will become King of Games!It put a smile on your face, as Pegasus continued with the lecture, you looked around to get an eye for your competition. There were the typical sorts you’d expect, the same champions you’d seen on tv hundreds of times. There were a good number of children, some looked about 12. Nerdy bookworm types but one stuck out to you most among the crowd. On the other side was a female, she pretty much towered over everyone else, you didn’t know who she was but she was gorgeous, drop dead gorgeous. Long blonde hair, shapely figure, long legs. Thigh high boots and a mini skirt with a matching purple coat. She looked like she could’ve been a runway model. Or on the cover of a magazine.(M/n): Damn, who’s that?You got caught up in staring at her, without thinking. You were too mesmerised. She caught you, It was just so sudden, as soon as you locked eyes, you shot your gaze forward at Pegasus. You hoped she didn’t notice but you were too obvious with staring for her to not notice.Mai POVAs Mai listened to Pegasus’ invitation speech, she felt a pair of eyes on her. She shot a gaze and spotted a boy with (Hair Color) hair, looking at her full of lust. He turned away when she caught him. A smirk slowly formed on Mai’s lipsMai: (Hmm, he should be easy. Right into my trap)In preparation for the tournament, Mai had prepared a few tricks of her own. Using her charm to lure people in and going for the kill with a little scheme. Very simple, using perfume and her discerning nose to make people think she was psychic. It was a decent plan, but if it fell through, she still had her trump card. Harpie Lady and a deck full of power ups. The tournament was her's to win.(M/n) POV(M/n): (Crap! She saw me, she saw me! Who even is she?)Pegasus: Assemble your dueling decks with care, with cunning, with creativity. For this contest will test your skills like never before! You’ve been given a glove and 2 precious star chips. You must wager these star chips on duels you compete in. The 4 of you who reach ten chips will advance to the finals for a shot to face me one on one in a duel and for the 3 Million Dollar prize!The crowd erupted into a roar as Pegasus left into the castle. The money was nice, but you weren’t in it for money. You mostly just liked being popular. And winning, winning duels always gave you a positive feeling, hearing people praise and cheer for you was your main reason for competing. You rushed off to find an opponentTimeskip It took time, a few hours at least but your glove was filling up nicely. 7 chips, 3 more to go as Dusk was setting in. Your first 3 duels had all been relatively easy. You’d been betting fairly fiscally, only 1 star chip on your first duel and 2 on your next 2 matches.It had been a few hours since the tournament began and the competition had thinned considerably, you had to hunt for a match. In your search, you saw a familiar face. The same blonde lady, she was dueling a kid who seemed a nervous wreck. The guy was sweating bullets as Mai didn’t even seem to be paying attention to her match. She was checking her nails for dirt as he made his play.Kid: I-it’s your turn, M-Mai.(M/n): Mai. So that’s what her name is. That’s a pretty name. (Smiles contently)Mai: (Yawn) Harpie Lady’s, triangle ecstasy spark. The kid’s monster was destroyed by her Harpie Lady monsters as his Life Points dropped to 0.Mai: (Dryly) Wow. That was so tough. Reminded me of doing my nails.Kid: But i got third in my locals!Mai: Uh huh. Great story. Leave your star chips and hit the road.Kid: But that’s not fair! I barely even got a chance…Mai: Stop crying, you baby. Leave your star chips and get going!She didn’t even look at him, you felt a little bad for him as he ran off crying. She could’ve at least been respectful, you made a point to pay respect to everyone you beat, no matter how easy the match itself was. You started to stare at her again. Atop the platform, she caught you.Mai: (Aggressive) You want something?(M/n): …Mai: What, your ears don’t work? Your eyes obviously do.(M/n): Sorry, it’s just that...never mind.You briskly started to walk away. She was pretty, but seemed to be pretty unfriendly, maybe even downright nasty. As you passed her, she saw your glove and thought to herself about your 7 chips. She had 8 and only needed 2 more to get into the castle. And it was the same guy who she caught looking at her before, she had a smirk. She felt she just hit the jackpot. She knew he had some kind of crush on her, or at least an attraction. So if she turned on the charm, he’d be putty in her hands and the next 2 chips would be hers. He was walking away from her when she noticed the logo on his back. “The Hammer.” She put on her best smile and ran up to you.Mai: (sweetly) Hammer! I couldn’t help but notice how you have 7 star chips. Wow, that sure is a lot. You must be a really strong duelist.(M/n): I’m all right, i guess.Mai: And such a cute one, too.You started to blush a little. She grabbed your gloved hand and started stroking your palm. Your blush grew even greater.Mai: So, cutie, what do you say we duel? You bet 2 star chips and i’ll bet 2. Maybe if you win, i’ll give you a kiss.She said with a wink.Red. Your blush was red as wine. She knew she had you hooked. The duel arena came up again, she ran up and took her spot while you were lost in thought. She whistled at you, it woke you up, so you took the other spot on the field. Some people stopped by to spectate, one of which was the crying kid from earlier. Mai: (This should be easy, i got him riled up. I bet the guy can’t even focus.) The Name’s Mai Valentine, remember it. (M/n): I’m (M/n). Uh, G-Good luck.Mai Valentine Vs. (M/n) (L/n)TimeskipThe duel was insanely close and competitive. It took a few turns to clear the cobwebs from her distraction but you regained focus by just not looking at her, she started with Harpie Lady and took an early lead, destroying your early monsters, she still had the same bored, disinterested look she beat the last kid with, but once you started fighting back, she began to concentrate on you more. You’d summon a more powerful monster and she’d just boost her Harpie’s with more equip spells. So you took more a defensive approach with some counter traps. Soon you were able to summon a powerful monster and defeat Harpie Lady. But she brought it right back with Monster Reborn and then Elegant Egotist to multiply the Harpie’s and attacked, but you had a trap waiting for her, finally defeating Harpie Lady. She was caught off guard by the attack and stood in disbelief for a moment. You took a lead and dominated, but not for long as she had another counter trap, Mirror Wall, and retook the lead. It crippled your offense. You had Gravity Bind on the field, preventing her monsters from attacking along with Volcanic Slicer (1800/1200), she still had Mirror Wall and Dark Witch (1800/1700). The match had reached a stalemate, you had activated Malevolent Destruction to destroy her mirror wall. She had just taken out Gravity Bind with Harpie’s Feather Duster. Both of your monsters had the same attack. It was your turn. Mai Life Points: 200(M/n) Life points: 50She had a smirk, the same cocky smirk she had whenever she had gained an advantage. You played Aqua Madoor (1200/2000) in defense mode, it had more defense then Dark Witch’s attack. Then you attacked Dark Witch with Volcanic Slicer, both monsters were destroyed. But she didn’t lose her smirk, you set a trap card and passed to her.Mai: (Laughs proudly) This is the best you’ve got?She activated Shadow of Eyes, forcing your monster into attack mode and summoned Another Harpie Lady (1300/1400). She attacked your monster and started laughing. Mai: Perish! My Harpie’s will make you fall before my power!Until you activated your trap. Shrink. It brought her Harpie down to 650 attack, your Aqua Madoor attacked it, causing her life points to drop to 0. Her jaw almost hit the floor when your trap caused her Harpie to get destroyed.Mai LIfe Points: 200 > 0Mai: (No. That didn’t just happen. He...he beat my Harpie’s?! I can’t believe this is happening to me.) My lovely creatures...were destroyed?Mai didn’t really show much of a reaction to the loss, she had a blank stare as she took out her star chips and approached you. handed you them in her palm. You took them and smiled at her.(M/n): Very good work, i thought you had me. You’re a great duelist, Mai.She didn’t reply, she didn’t seem angry or upset. Her expression was blank. You stuck out your hand for a handshake. She looked down at it, then back to you. Reluctantly, after a bit, she slowly reached up and grabbed your hand.Mai: Don’t think i’ll forget this. Next time we face off, i won’t let you off so easily.She walked off. (M/n): I had fun! I hope to duel you again, some time.Mai: (That guy. It’s not enough to beat me, now he has to rub it in, too? He hasn’t seen the last of me.)Mai POVAbout 2 hours later. Mai stood over a cliff, watching the ocean. She let out a sigh. She didn’t want to show it, but she was angry, at least a little. The loss was wearing on her.Mai: How did i let that happen? He actually beat my Harpie’s. The guy’s a nobody and he beats my Harpies. First Joey and now him. I have to redeem this, show him up. Don’t doubt yourself Mai, you can do better then this. He just got lucky. I will beat that guy.Mai thought about the loss even more, she was determined to prove something, to you and herself.Mai: Still, he’s a nobody. But...he was a nice nobody. It’s probably just an act, nobody that nice could be a top duelist. They just end up getting pushed around. A duelist can only count on themselves, a top duelist has to be ruthless, they can’t show weakness. That’s why he beat me. Being around that dope, Joey, has made me too soft.Mai was interrupted from her thoughts as she saw a boat pass by the ocean moving away from the island. A rowboat, she recognized the kid who she made cry. At the front. He was still crying. She figured it must be the way people who were eliminated from the tournament would be exited. She took a closer look and at the back it was the guy she was just thinking about. (M/n) was on the loser’s boat? Mai couldn’t believe her eyes.Mai: Huh? How’d that happen? Who eliminated him?Mai felt a tinge of disappointment, she wanted to be the one to do so. She still vowed that soon, she would take him on and defeat him.Act II - Battle CityMai POVMai had just arrived in town, she along with several others, had been invited to a mysterious tournament. Nobody knew the specifics on who was running the show, word was they were really rich. Jovially, she ran up to Tea and Yugi.Mai: (Teasingly) Yugi, i hope i’m not interrupting you guys’ date. (Laugh)Her joke irked Tea. After a brief reunion between the 3 and discussion of the new tournament, they both looked around. THere were several old “Friends” they all instantly recognized. Mai quickly deduced they were here for the mysterious tournament. First 2 they saw was a boy in a red hat with long brown hair and a short guy with blue hair in a bowl cut and glasses.Yugi: There sure are a lot of familiar faces here.Mai: You aren’t kidding. There’s Rex Raptor, and Weevil Underwood!Yugi: Mako Tsunami’s here too.Yugi blurted out, spotting the ocean duelist leaning against a street light. There was a new face, a green haired guy in a pink sweater. Mai quickly recognized him.Mai: There’s Espa Roba, word on the street is he’s psychic.Yugi looked around for more people, still trying to figure out what was going on.Yugi: Looks like they invited everyone. What were you saying about a tournament, Mai?Mai was silent, she spotted a familiar face of her own across the street, walking up the cross roads.Mai: Oh no, he’s here too.Yugi: Who? Who’s “He”?Mai pointed across the street as a (Short/Average/Tall) guy had come up from down the road. You saw her and started jogging over to her. She wasn’t actually disappointed, she had a very slight smile that she was trying to hide. Secretly, she was looking forward to dueling you again.Yugi: I don’t recognize him.Mai: It’s The Hammer. Most people call him that, his real name’s (M/n).Yugi: You guys have history? Did he bully you or something?Tea: Wow, Mai. I didn’t know you had a boyfriend. I hope you don’t drive him crazy.Mai: He’s not my boyfriend! He’s just a guy who got lucky and beat me and i plan on getting him back for that.Tea giggled, at the slight payback she got on Mai for her joke with Yugi. You stopped at Mai and smiled at her.(M/n): Hi Mai! (Smiles) I hope you’re doing well. It’s been awhile.Mai: (Teasingly) Hmm, they let YOU in this tournament?(M/n): They certainly did. You won’t get rid of me that easily. (Joking) I hope you’re ready to lose again. Mai: Hmmph, well it’s 1 loss, la ti da. Probably just blind luck, but which one of us was in the finals? I don’t remember seeing you there.(M/n): Eh, i ran into some bad luck. Some guy in a USA headband and his ghostly looking buddies beat me. But congratulations on doing well, i had a feeling you’d make it far, you’re a good duelist.Mai: Don’t try that whole nice guy routine. Far as i’m concerned, we have unfinished business. I’ll be seeing you soon for my rematch.(M/n): I look forward to it. I hope you can do more then spam Harpie Lady this time.Mai: I have techniques you can’t even imagine. You won’t know what hit you.Mai crossed her arms with a smirk. You nodded your head and smirked back, you 2 stared each other down. You didn’t know what happened, she seemed to have thankfully softened up a little since last time. She was still cocky, but she didn’t give off the “I love making kids cry” vibe like before. Maybe there was even a respect there between you 2. Something happened to you after that duel, beating Mai, you heard of the new tournament and entered mostly to duel Mai again. She was the first real challenge you had in awhile. It filled you up with a new passion for the game. You headed out from the street.Yugi: He seems nice.Mai: Kid’s got spunk. Kinda reminds me of Joey.TimeskipMai POVAfter an announcement from Kaiba explaining the rules, it was time for Battle City to begin. The biggest tournament probably in all of Duel Monsters. The first step on Mai’s journey was the card shop in town where she had to collect her duel disc. With a spring in her step, she walked into the shop and stopped in her tracks at who she saw. His back was to her, but she would recognize that outfit anywhere. It was (M/n). Filling out the paperwork for a duel disk, he didn’t notice her.He turned to her with his duel disk in the box. She crossed her arms and got into a bit of a staredown with you. You smiled back at her.Mai: I hope you hold onto the receipt. Cause when i get done with you, you’ll be begging for a return on that duel disk.(M/n): Hey, i’m ready when you are. She smirked and turned to the guy running the store as you left.Mai: Hi, i’m here to pick up my duel disk.Clerk: Name?Mai: Mai Valentine.Clerk: (Incredulous) Oh, we definitely got you. You know, you’re the second highest rated player in this tournament, level 7. Only Yugi Muto’s ahead of you,. (Whispers) And you’re my bet to win. I gambled on you.Mai: Hmm, well, you’re about to become very rich indeed.After she got her duel disk, she turned to leave but found herself thinking about you. So she turned back to the clerk.Mai: Hey, that guy who was just here, (M/n) (L/n). What’s his ranking? He typed your name into his pc. As your profile came up, he turned the monitor to her. There was a picture of you giving a huge grin. It was just a photo but she felt like it was mocking her.Clerk: Guy’s only a level 5. The clerk pulled out a spreadsheet from his desk, it had a list of all the participants and their betting odds of winning. Yugi was on top with a chance of 45% like to win the whole thing, Mai was second place with 41% and (M/n) was in 20th at only 6%.TimeskipMai was feeling proud of herself, she made mincemeat of her first 2 opponents. Already past halfway through to the requirement of 6 locator cards and it was only the first day. If she kept this up, she’d be a shoe-in for the finals. Her first opponent was the crying kid from Duelist Kingdom and he was out for revenge, she beat him quickly and when he cried again, she encouraged him a little bit instead of rubbing it in like last time, he lost but she helped him feel better. Maybe being around kind people, like Yugi and Joey and (M/n) changed her, but it wasn’t for the worse.Her other opponent was a guy who immediately dismissed her because she was a woman, she challenged him after she caught him bullying his last opponent just for being a girl playing the game, he thought she was weak but she showed him what girl power was about, boosting her to 4 locator cards and kicking Mr. “Girls can’t play Duel Monsters” out on his keister..Her opponents barely put up a fight as her new Amazoness deck was borderline unstoppable. Powerful monster? Boom, she’s got a selection of counter traps to stop it. Trying to lock her out with magic and traps? Nope! Harpie’s Feather Duster. She was basically untouchable. She strolled down the street, taking it a little more easy. She didn’t have much to worry about, there was plenty of time to procure locator cards. She decided to take a stroll through the park and take a glance at nature.(M/n): And boom, that takes the rest of your life points!That voice, it sounded familiar, she heard it up the road and ran up to it. She saw (M/n) in a heated duel against (Opponent). He just won, the opponent shouted “Damn it” at the top of his lungs as you did a victory dance, causing Mai to laugh. You walked up to him to take his locator cards and offer him a handshake, it made him calm down a little.Mai: (Laughs loudly) Auditioning for a dance-off, are we, (M/n)?You turned around and saw Mai again, she was smirking.(M/n): Ah, hello again, Mai. How are you coming along?She didn’t say a word, she smiled and pulled out 4 locator cards. You gave her a thumbs up, not an impressed thumbs up more of a proud thumbs up and pulled out your winnings so far, 3 cards.(M/n): Read ‘em and weep, 3 cards. Halfway there for the finals. Mai: Don’t forget our rematch. But uh, i don’t wanna wait for the finals. I can’t risk you getting kicked out again before you can honor that promise. Meet me here at noon tomorrow and we’ll finish up our duel.(M/n): You’re on!Mai: You’re a worthy rival (M/n), i don’t want anyone to think i took an easy path. I’m gonna tell all the finalists that i had a rough time against The Hammer when i win the Battle City trophy.(M/n): But how can you win when i’m gonna be the one in the finals? Mai: You in the finals? Puh-Lease! You may be good, but i learn from my mistakes, kid. I lost to you last time, but i don't regret anything. It just showed me how i can be an even better duelist. Tomorrow, i prove that you can’t keep Mai Valentine down.(M/n): You’re a strong duelist yourself, Mai. Either way, the other 7 are gonna have a big obstacle to overcome.TimeskipThat morning, you had woke up excited. You were 1 duel away from the finals, it was gonna be you or Mai. It was nice seeing her again, not just as an opponent, but maybe more then that. As a friend. Something about Mai, you felt sort of a connection with her. Maybe there was more then just a rivalry. A friendship? Maybe more then that. A romance? You dismissed that thought, she probably wouldn’t be too interested, she probably has 100’s of guys chasing after her, what shot would you have?You headed off to the park as before and waited for Mai. But she was late. Out of boredom, you called out some random duelist and began to duel with them.Mai POVMai slept alone in the luxurious hotel she had rented in town, just for the tournament. Slowly her eyes fluttered open, she stretched and yawned. It felt weird to wake up naturally, usually an alarm clock jolted her up but the clock didn’t go off today. She assumed she woke up early. Opening the curtain, it was brightly sunny, like middle of the day sunny. She walked over to her clock and the light on the led screen was blank.Mai: Darn batteries died. I knew i was forgetting something.She snapped the tv of her room on and saw the time, 11:30.Mai: ...Oh heck, i was supposed to meet (M/n) at the park today! I hope i don’t make him wait too long.She still took the time to primp herself, she was sure you’d understand because A lady’s gotta look good. Especially one who took pride in her appearance, like Mai. As She finished brushing her hair and styling it how she liked, she pulled out her red lipstick and applied some, like always. She’d done it so many times, it had become like a robotic, automatic thing for her.Mai: That looks good, i don’t want (M/n) thinking i just rolled out of bed…Mai caught herself and thought about what she said.Mai: Wait a minute, am i doing this for him or me? Of course it’s for me, why would i pay attention to what he thinks about my appearance. He’s just another duelist...right?She asked herself in the mirror as she found herself thinking about you as maybe more then just a rival. Reflecting on what exactly you were to her. But she ripped herself from the thought and ran out the hotel’s door to meet you. She just jogged down the street, running in heels like the ones on her feet was too hard. She came up on the park and walked around, looking for you. The place was crowded, she couldn’t see you anywhere. She walked deeper into the park and saw you.Mai: (M/n)! Sorry i’m late, are…She stopped as she saw that you were involved in another duel. She sort of hid behind a tree and watched.Mai: Ooh, now here’s a shot to get a glimpse into what new strategy’s he’s got. I know it’s cheap but a gal’s gotta do what she’s gotta do. She began taking some mental notes about what specifically to watch out for. You set Marshmallon, a monster that couldn’t be destroyed by attacks and Blast Sphere, a monster that equipped to another monster if it was flipped and attacked, it’d destroy it and take a chunk of LP.Mai: Ok, i’ll have to be careful with those. Any set monsters could be trouble for me.You also pulled out Skull Invitation, a trap card that decreased both player’s life points whenever a card was sent to the graveyard. You comboed it with Needle Worm, a flip effect monster that sent the first 5 cards from the opponent’s deck to their graveyard. Hitting them with 1500 burn damageMai: Ooh, tough. That Skull Invitation card could spell my downfall, he just wiped out a third of that guy’s life points. I’ll have to keep Harpie’s Feather Duster around for that one.(M/n) POVYou had (Opponent) on the ropes and with Hammer Bounzer (2300/2000) on the field, you attacked his last monster, ending the duel. You paid respect to him and he gave your next locator card to you, bringing you up to 4.Behind you, you heard slow clapping. You turned around and saw Mai approaching you.Mai: Hmm, glad i finally showed up? I hope you’re ready.(M/n): Mai! Good to see you, for a moment i thought i scared you and you were hiding.Mai: Very funny, (M/n). But you should know by now i don’t hide from any challenge. I actually like making the finals. In fact, i’ve been studying these new rules just so i could beat you. I will redeem that loss.It was the moment of truth, You were gonna duel against Mai Valentine for the right to be in the finals. It was gonna be you or her, the deadline was getting close. You and Mai both smiled at each other and prepared your decks.TimeskipOnce again, the duel had been insanely close. You both matched each other counter for counter. You were able to reverse whatever she threw at you but could never capitalize because she’d have a counter for that. Back and Forth, it took 10 turns before either of you lost a life point. You broke the stalemate by summoning Hammer Bounzer (2300/2000), a powerful monster that didn't need a tribute if you controlled no other cards and attacked her directly. You had some dominance over her next couple monsters but she quickly took it out with Unfriendly Amazoness (2000/1000) and Amazoness Archers to weaken your monster and destroy it. She brought out another Amazoness monster on her next turn and it took out your next monster, leaving you wide open for a direct attack but you used a simple Negate Attack, to stall. Out came a set monster, Marshmallon on your next turn. It stalled but was enough to help you build a decent defense. You brought out more monsters and quickly started beating over her Amazoness monsters, but she didn't seem at all phased. She brought out Amazoness Chainmaster and you quickly took it out, causing her to smile. She used it's effect to steal Flamvell Commando (2200/200) from your deck and then Brain Control to steal another monster, Marshmallon, tributing your own monster to bring it out. Just like that, the table's turned again. But not for long as you brought out Raging Flame Sprite (100/0), a monster that could attack directly and gained 500 attack with each successful strike along with Nightmare's Steelcage to prevent her from attacking while Sprite's attack kept rising. You only got one attack off though as she used Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy the cage quickly and took a big chunk of your Life Points when she destroyed Flame Sprite. You set Blast Sphere, but she summoned Harpie Girl (500/500) to attack it and only take a minimal bit of damage to her LP.Mai Life Points: 800(M/n) Life Points: 1000You controlled Blazing Inpachi (1850/0) and a set spell/trap. She still controlled your Flamvell Commando (2200/200), Amazoness Fighter (1500/1300) and a set spell/trap. It was her turn, she attacked Inpachi with your Commando.You flipped your facedown card, Shrink, and decreased Flamvell Commando down to 1100 before attacking with Blazing Inpachi.Mai Life Points: 800 > 50She ended her turn.(M/n): Mai, it's been an honor dueling you. I mean that, you're probably one of my favorite opponent's i've ever faced. You’re one cool chick.Mai: What a wonderful duel it's been! I think you're a good duelist too. Whatever happens, though, happens. Either way, though, i’ve been enjoying myself against you. It’s nice having someone to push me to my limitsYou and Mai smiled at each other(M/n): (Ok, that facedown card is kinda worrying me. I have a plan though.)You activated an equip spell, Darkworld Shackles and equipped it to her Amazoness Fighter, decreasing it's attack to 100 and preventing it from attacking.. Amazoness Fighter (1500/1300) > (100/100)(M/n): Sorry, Mai. But the game's over for you.You ordered your Blazing Inpachi to attack for the game. But before it did, she smirked and activated Amazoness Spellcaster. A magic card that switches the attack of both your monsters. Amazoness Fighter (100/100) > (1850/100)Blazing Inpachi (1850/0) > (100/0)Mai: Oh really? Cause it looks like i just drained your life points?It destroyed your monster, giving her the win.Mai: I guess tonight is ladies night!(M/n) Life Points: 1000 > 0Winner: Mai Valentine.She had a smirk when she won.You and Mai approached each other with your 2 locator cards in one hand, you handed them over and she took them and gave you a smile, not a smirk but a genuine happy smile. You offered her a handshake and she gleefully accepted. Mai: That was rough, i’d hope to duel you again someday.(M/n): I almost had you too, i’m sure you’ll do great in the finals. You’re a fantastic duelist.Mai smiled at you, you smiled at her, she didn’t remove her hand either. You were basically holding hands with her, and smiling at each other. You didn’t really know what you felt for Mai, but you did know one thing, you really wanted to hug her. With her hand still gripping yours, you pulled her closer into one. She was caught off guard at first, unsure how to react. Her hands stayed at her sides for a few seconds.Mai: (He’s...hugging me? This actually feels really nice. I feel...warm. It’s been so long since anyone’s hugged me.)She gently put her arms around you, just your shoulder as she thought back to the last genuine hug she received.Flashback - Valentine ManorA young Mai, maybe 12 years old, sits in the dining room of her parent’s mansion. She looks out the window at the pouring rain. She heard there was supposed to be ice on the roads. Her parents were rushing around, putting on their rain coats and trying to find umbrellas.Mai: Why are you guys going out now? Isn’t it bad to drive when it rains?Dad: We don’t have a choice, dear. We need to be there right now.Mai didn’t understand what was going on, something at the company her parent’s ran needed their immediate attention, storm or no storm. Before rushing out the door, her mother ran up and hugged her. It made her feel safe. After they rushed out, Mai looked out the window for the family car to pull back into their driveway. Hours went by and it never came back. Well into the night, she was still waiting as the rain continued to pour.Present Day Mai always did her best to never think about that day. The hug from you made her feel safe, the same safety she felt on that fateful day. She felt her lip quiver.Mai: (No. Don’t cry! Don’t let him see you cry.)She wrapped her arms around you, as tight as she could, her face was buried into your shoulder, you could even feel her breathing through the fabric on your shoulder. She held you very close. When you actually tried to pull away, she just grabbed you tighter. LIke she didn’t want to let you go. She really started to relax, you could feel her breath on your shoulder. She got to a calm, almost like a sleeping level of calm. You were relaxed too, like time had stood still for this moment. That day always made her cry, never failed. But being in a hug from you, she still wanted to cry but she at least felt safe.Eventually though, she loosened her grip. She backed up and you both looked at each other. She gave you a warm smile, you smiled back.Mai: That was nice.She felt a tear start to form so she turned her back.(M/n): I hope i see you again! Mai: You will, maybe we could hang out after the tournament.(M/n): Good luck in the finals!Act III - Post TournamentBattle City had been an eventful time for Mai. The finals were challenging, she got paired up against Marik and lost. The event had placed her into a comatose state where she’d slowly forget her friends. But Yugi was soon able to save her. The event had affected her. In the time since, she heard you were still in Battle City. It took some digging but she found you.You and her were gonna hang out, she mentioned a nice little ice cream parlor in the city she passed by and never got to try because she was focused on the tournament. In the time away from her, you realized what she meant to you. She wasn’t just another duelist, but she also wasn’t just a friend. She was a strong person, a lovely person to be around, someone you just wanted to be around. You wanted to tell her but unsure if she returned your affections. Were you just another rival to her?At the parlor, she went inside to order the stuff while you picked out a seat and saved it. Out she came with 2 huge sundaes, one of them vanilla and the other had (Favorite Flavor) ice cream. It looked really delicious and had all kinds of great toppings.The first thing she did was take the cherry on top and eat it. As she chewed the cherry, she looked at the stem.Mai: You know, i read a rumor that anyone who can tie a knot with a stem of a cherry in their mouth is a great kisser.(M/n): Oh really?You took the challenge, eating your cherry and taking the stem in your hand. On the count of 3, you both were gonna eat the cherry stems and try to tie the knot. It was harder then you thought it’d be, you couldn’t really figure out how. She stared at you with a smirk, moving the stem around her mouth. Sure enough, after about a minute, she stuck her tongue out, the cherry stem in a perfect knot.(M/n): I can do that too, it just takes a…Suddenly the stem wnet down your throat, felt like a stabbing pain inside your esophagus. Hacking and Gagging, Mai popped you on the back, causing the stem to dislodge. You spit it out. It was embarrassing, but she started laughing. Soon you did too.You and Mai began to talk more, you told her some funny stories about your childhood, she stayed away from childhood stuff and only focused on humorous anecdotes from her first job at a casino in a cruise ship.As the time went on, you got a little more bummed, as fun as it was to be around Mai, you knew it’d end soon. And once it was over, you thought you may never get another shot at this again. She was taking slow, meticulous bites of her ice cream. Careful not to give herself brain freeze, but enjoying the vast array of toppings. You hadn’t touched yours much. You didn’t feel like eating, you had something stressful on your mind.Mai: You know that thing’s gonna melt if you don’t take a bite soon. (M/n): I uh, i’m just not hungry.Mai: Do you not like it? I got the right thing, didn’t i? You said (Flavor), right?(M/n): It’s not that.Mai: Well, what’s wrong? You’re usually so lively.(M/n): Well...if i tell you something, i want you to promise you won’t laugh or anything.Mai: What’s bothering you? I promise i won’t laugh. Let me know if i can help you.(M/n): Well, i’m really glad i met you. I’ve had fun playing against you.Mai: That’s it? Well, i like dueling you to, it’s nice having someone who can challenge me. And not be a total jerk.(M/n): No. There’s more. I’ve, uh, started to catch feelings. I really like you Mai, i do, as more then a friend. I’d like it if we could start spending more time together, outside of the game. As a, uh, couple.She didn’t say anything, you started to get nervous by her silence and looked ahead away from her. You avoided looking at her face, for fear of seeing her reaction. Would she be grossed out? Would she laugh?Mai: (Stern) Look at me.As you turned back to her, you felt a pair of lips on yours. She was kissing you. Just a tender peck. Mai: That was for the bet, remember when we first dueled?You nodded. She leaned in and kissed you again, with a little more passion.Mai: That one though, is meant to answer your question.You and Mai smiled at each other, she leaned in and kissed you, but you guys didn’t pull apart. She got pretty aggressive with the kissing. You were reluctant to touch her at all, in more then a platonic hug. But eventually worked the nerve up to wrap around her waist. Mai took charge with the kiss.ACT IV - EpilogueYou and Mai continued your relationship, you both entered tournaments as opponents. But also threw your hat into team dueling tournaments, where you guys both dominated. Soon you both became known as the Duel Monsters “Power Couple”. When things got rough, you were her rock. When nightmares of what happened to her under Marik’s control would pop up, she’d have you there to help hug the fear right out of her. The End.I hope it was enjoyable, i had fun doing it. Mai is my favorite character in the show and all of anime, tbh. I didn’t really know how to write Mai in a romantic sense. She’s tough to write in that sense and stay true to her character, for me at least. I figured the rivalry turned romance fit her character best. Anyway, Happy Valentine’s Day!if there’s any interest, i could do a bonus lemon as a sequel to this fic....
TheBlockernator
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