[fic] So many things... - Yugioh, 'Atemu'xYugi, angst, PG, theme 018 (100_chances)
Theme: 018- So many things to do today and not enough time to do them; for 100_chances
Author: Chey (duelist_gurl163)
Rating: G
Genre: Angst
Pairings: 'Atemu'xYugi implied
Archive: Here
Warnings: None.
Spoilers: None.
Summary: It just wasn't time yet.
Disclaimer: I'm not Takahashi, believe it or not.
Notes: This is the sequel to Traces. (Man, did I have some funky formatting back then or what? xD)---
“Yugi, could you give me a hand here?”
He looked up from the television to see his grandfather struggling with three large laundry baskets and jumped up. “Sure Grandpa.”
“Thank you,” Sugoroku said in relief as Yugi took one and lessened the weight on his arms. “The amount of things your mother left for me to do today…doesn’t she know I have a business to run?”
“The store is closed today.”
“I could be doing inventory! I could be doing the accounts, I could be dusting the shelves, anything but laundry.”
“Mom’s really busy, Grandpa. I’m sure she appreciates the help,” Yugi said, following him down the hall and stairs to the laundry room.
“There’s just not enough time in the day,” he grumbled. “I had a list of things I wanted to get done today, and here I am collecting dirty socks and separating darks and lights…not to mention having to go on a scavenger hunt just to find the laundry, no thanks to you!”
Yugi frowned. “Er…what do you mean Grandpa?”
“This!” He held up a wrinkled black sleeveless shirt. “I found this under your pillows…God knows how long it’s been there, you must have tossed your pillows on top of it and forgotten all about it-”
“Grandpa, wait, don’t wash that!” Yugi dropped the basket he was holding, lunging for the shirt. His grandfather pulled it out of reach.
“Yugi, what has gotten in to you?”
“You can’t wash that, Grandpa.”
“Of course I can, heaven can tell it needs it.”
“But that’s-” He stopped. Still, even all these months later, it hurt to say the name.
“It’s…?”
“…It’s important, okay? I don’t want you to wash it.”
“Yugi, I know you like these black tank tops, but you have a whole drawer full. How is this one any more important?”
He lowered his eyes, sinking to the floor to pick up some towels that had fallen out of the basket he’d dropped, and mumbled his answer.
“What was that?”
“It was…it was Atemu’s.”
Sugoroku didn’t respond for a moment, watching his grandson kneel and carefully arrange the towels in the basket to avoid looking up. Then he looked down at the crumpled shirt.
“You two shared clothes…technically all of your clothes were his.”
“But he was the last person to wear that one.” Yugi, unable to avoid it any longer, stood up and set the basket on the table beside the washer.
“How could you tell something like that?”
“I just could.”
“Yugi…”
“It…had his scent, okay?”
His grandfather was silent for a moment, watching as Yugi refused to meet his eyes. Finally he said, “But even if it did remind you of him, it’s all musty now. Any other scent must be long gone.”
“Yeah, but…I don’t want it washed. I didn’t wash it before because it was all I had left. Even after all this time, it still feels like it’s got part of him in it.” His fingers tightened, gripping the towel under them. “I’ll wash it eventually, Grandpa. I just…I need to hang on to him a little longer.”
“I understand what he meant to you,” his grandfather said gently. “But it’s been almost a year. Don’t you think maybe it’s time to let him go?”
“It is, but I’m not ready.” Yugi looked up at him, pleading with his eyes. “I’m not ready yet.”
Any other time, Sugoroku would have tried to talk him out of it. Would have sat down with him and explained that this wasn’t healthy. He had done it before. Had forced Yugi to get up, had talked him into going out with his friends, had given him countless pointless chores to keep him from lying on his bed all day in silence. But the sight of the pain in his expression was too much. He had rarely seen Yugi look so distraught at the prospect of something being taken from him, and didn’t have the heart to go through with it. Now he understood all those hours Yugi had spent lying motionless on the bed. Suffering, grieving, clinging to the only thing that helped. Even if forcing him to let go would be the right thing to do, he knew he could never do it.
“I’m sorry,” he finally said, holding the shirt out. “I didn’t know.”
Yugi hugged it to his chest silently for a long moment before murmuring, “Thank you Grandpa.”
He smiled gently and turned away to begin loading the washer. Yugi took the moment of privacy to press the shirt to his face. He knew his grandfather was right. And silently he told himself the lie he told himself every night to ease his conscience.
…Just a little longer.
x - x - x
Notes: I was always rather fond of Traces, so I decided to write a follow-up. Because the world needs more angst. =D Well, angst of the Puzzleshippy sort, anyway. x3
Happy birthday Gin-Gin! And Inuconen! I hope you both have a great day!