[fic] Laughter - Yugioh, 'Atemu'xYugi, general, G, theme 036 (100_chances)
Theme: 036- Laughter; for 100_chances
Author: Chey (duelist_gurl163)
Rating: G
Genre: General
Pairings: 'Atemu'xYugi implied
Archive: Here
Warnings: Slight OOCness on the part of Atemu, and he's got his own body for no adequately-explained reason.
Spoilers: None.
Summary: There are many reasons to laugh, some of which Yugi doesn't agree with.
Disclaimer: Yugioh still isn't mine.
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“Books are great,” Atemu proclaimed, plunking the stack of them he was carrying on the counter. “I love them.”
“As happy as I am for you and the books,” Yugi said, “if you don’t stop bringing them home we’re going to have to build an extension on to the house to keep them all. Why don’t you just join the library?”
“And give them back after a few weeks? Where’s the fun in that?”
“You nerd.”
“Hey,” Atemu countered as he pulled out his wallet. “You try being stuck inside a Puzzle for three thousand years. I’ve missed three millennia’s worth of history and literature.”
“And you’re planning to catch up by using all of your spending money to start your own library?”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” He handed over the money and waited for change. As he did, he felt something hit the back of his head and turned, puzzled, in time to see three young kids dashing out of the store, laughing. He felt his head where he’d been hit, and glanced down at the floor to see a small wadded up paper ball. Shrugging, he turned back to the cashier. As he did, he noticed Yugi staring toward the door, his eyebrows knit and his expression no longer playful.
“Aibou? Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” He shook himself. “Here, let me carry one of the bags for you.”
Five minutes later, as they walked down the street back toward the Game Shop together, Atemu asked, “Aibou, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Those kids…they threw that paper ball at me, didn’t they? They were laughing at me.”
Yugi nodded, staring straight ahead.
“And you know why, don’t you? I saw your expression.”
Again, he nodded.
“So…why did they?”
Yugi sighed. “It’s…because of how you look. Because you have darker skin and look foreign.”
Atemu frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“There are some people who think people with darker skin are below them in class. That people with your skin tone are poor and unsophisticated. It’s nothing you did, their families have probably taught them those prejudices.”
“Oh.” Atemu shifted his bag of books from one hand to the other. “Is this a well-known prejudice?”
“I guess. It’s not that prevalent anymore, but there are some people out there who still believe in it. Most people know it exists.”
“So you knew I might face this, being dark-skinned in your society,” Atemu said.
Yugi scuffed at the ground. “Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want your feelings to be hurt.” Yugi finally looked up at him. “It took a lot of courage…to tell your family and friends that you didn’t want to stay in your world with them, you wanted to come back to live here. I didn’t want you thinking you weren’t welcome in our world.”
“Oh, Aibou.” Atemu’s expression gentled.
Yugi sighed as they stopped at a corner and waited for the light to change. “I guess I should have seen this coming. I knew you wouldn’t be able to live here the rest of your life without someone saying something. I’m sorry I didn’t prepare you for it.”
“Hey…” Atemu set his hand on his shoulder in concern. “There’s no need to look so sad. I don’t care if some little kids laugh at me.”
Yugi looked up and met his eyes. “I care if they do,” he replied softly.
The light had changed, but Atemu didn’t notice, too busy gazing back at Yugi.
“Aibou…”
“I laugh at you for stuff. For buying so many books or when you rant on about some minor annoyance. But nobody should ever laugh at you or throw things at you because of how you look. They don't know you, they don't know anything about you and they don't have the right to treat you like that.”
Atemu was still staring. Yugi’s cheeks flushed and he looked away, his skin feeling prickly with embarrassment. He supposed he’d said a little too much, with way too much feeling.
“Thank you, Aibou,” Atemu finally replied. “That means a lot to me.”
Yugi glanced back up to see Atemu smiling broadly. He felt his heart lift. “Oh…y-you’re welcome.”
The light had changed back, leaving them to stand together on the corner for another several minutes.
But neither of them minded.
X - X - X
Notes: I meant to post this yesterday and forgot. ^^;;; Happy belated Rosh Hashanah?
Awhile back I was reading about the dark/light skin issue in Japan and wondered why nobody ever mentioned it in any of the fanfics I’ve read. (Granted, I haven't read that many.)
Seriously, one day I'll post a theme again in which the Puzzleshipping isn't "implied." xDD Seems like all of them lately fall into the implied category...