[fic] Theme 032 "Newspaper", for 100_wangsts {遊☆戯☆王: 'Atemu'/Yuugi; PG}
Freedom!!
You have no idea how relieved I am now that the exam is out of the way. Of course, now I have to wait for the results, which I’m not looking forward to... Oh well.
Written for 100_wangsts. This is theme 032.
Genre: Angst/Romance
Rating: PG
Pairings: ‘Atemu’/Yuugi
Story Type: Drabble/one-shot
Summary: He looked, everyday, waiting for a sign, but maybe he had waited too long.
Disclaimer: Yuugiou never took place around the Industrial Revolution, did it? Hmm, guess I don’t own it, then.
Spoilers: Er, I guess my theme 022 - steam engine.
Warnings: This is the other alternate ‘sequel’ to theme 022 - steam engine. It’s still angst, not the happy ending duelist_gurl163 wrote.
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A year, five, or was it ten? It seemed only like yesterday when Atemu had left Domino City in a state of shock and had sat numbly in the train-seat as it pulled away from the station in a blur of smoke and noise. He did not move too far; the area he settled in was small and busy, much like Domino City, but it held none of the familiarity and friendliness of his hometown. But it was far enough. The chances of bumping into Yuugi - it still hurt to merely mention his name - were slim.
He had found a job, working at an inn and its drinking room, establishing acquaintances with the customers. His work forced him to concentrate, giving him no chance to dwell on the past during business hours. And he was thankful for that; he could not afford to make a mistake with a drink order or money transactions.
But when the day was over and the innkeeper allowed him to rest in his room, the image of Yuugi running away from him on the train platform was forced in front of his eyes. Why, oh why, did he not work slower and push himself to the brink of exhaustion, so that he did not have to think on it? It hurt to recall that face, that body, and all the memories along with them.
Atemu settled back on his bed, rolling around to seek the perfect comfort - but it would never be; not without Yuugi next to him. He brought the newspaper close, squinting under the wavering candlelight. He had discovered this link to Domino City in the second week he started working here, and since then he had kept a copy of the newspaper, everyday. No matter how much the innkeeper complained, he would not throw them away.
Aside from the customers, some of whom were businessmen stopping before proceeding to the next city to discuss further plans, his only other source of information about Yuugi and his family were from the newspapers. There were several articles about the company, both short and long - Motou-san’s sixtieth birthday, Yuugi’s parents’ relinquishing control of the Design Department to their only son, the company’s thirtieth anniversary. Atemu choked; the poor quality black-and-white photo on the slightly smudged page did nothing to hide Yuugi’s smile at the camera, with a young woman’s arm tucked tightly in the crook of his elbow. And even though he wanted to reassure himself that this was only for public image and Yuugi loved him and only him, he could not deny the obvious happiness radiating from that face.
But he could do nothing - running back into Yuugi’s life right now would cause both of them greater pain.
So he waited.
A month later the devastating headlines splashed on the front page, leaving Atemu’s mind blank and forcing the innkeeper to lecture him when business thinned in the afternoon. In another state of shock so akin to the one all those years ago, he retreated to his room and slid down the door he just closed.
His mind screamed at the impossibility, that the media lied - anything! Yuugi was stronger than this, he always was even when he insisted Atemu was his pillar of strength - how could he be possibly taken away by a single accident?
- Owari -
Story Word Count: 553
Authoress Notes: I’m sorry for making an angsty sequel to an already angsty fic, but Gods - the idea was really tempting.