[Amnesty Day] [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Two fics

[insaneladybug]

I think I'll finally post one I wrote back in December, as well as one I did from this month's set.

Title: Vinegar and Honey
Day/Prompt: December 5th, 2019: he had the awkward tenderness of someone who has never been loved and is forced to improvise
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Character/Pairing: The Big Five, focusing on Lector and Nesbitt
Rating/Warning(s): G/K


Nesbitt was surprised and saddened when he awoke and wandered out of his room to find Lector sitting dejectedly on the edge of his bed in the room across the hall, looking exhausted. "What happened?" he frowned.

Lector sighed wearily. "Something I ate didn't agree with me. It's been a long night."

"You can usually eat anything," Nesbitt said in dismay.

"Almost anything," Lector said. "I still get tripped up by anything with MSG in or on it . . . and vinegar, unless it's a pickle."

"You're always so careful not to eat those things," Nesbitt said. He finally went in and sat next to his friend.

"I know," Lector sighed. "Everything was so delicious at the party that I let my guard down. I didn't recognize the vinegar in one of the dishes until we were home and I started feeling terrible."

"You should have got me, or any of the others," Nesbitt objected. But he knew Lector never would have done that. He suffered in silence and only tended to say anything if he had to, or if he was caught obviously miserable. Not that Nesbitt was much different on that point. Actually, all five of them tried to ‘man up' when they weren't feeling well.

"I didn't want any of you to see me like that," Lector said.

Nesbitt gave an awkward shrug. "We've all seen each other at our worst anyway. . . ."

Lector smiled a bit. He couldn't deny that. "This is a different kind of ‘worst,' though."

Nesbitt had to concede that point. And Lector was far too polite and proud to want anyone to see him in that state, even—or maybe especially—his closest friends. Nesbitt couldn't blame him in the least. He would feel completely mortified in Lector's place. ". . . Are you feeling better now?" he asked.

"I believe I'm over the worst of it, but I've barely had any sleep," Lector sighed. "When I still felt too terrible to lie down, I had to sit up and doze. Then when I finally could lie down, I only slept for a short time and something woke me up again." He groaned. "And we have to be at Penguin World in an hour. . . ."

"Not for you today, you don't," Nesbitt retorted. He pushed gently on Lector's shoulder. "Just lie down again and rest. You're in no condition to go to the office today."

"I've had to work feeling worse than this," Lector said.

"But that was when you worked for other people," Nesbitt said. "We're our own bosses now! You can choose to take a sick day if you have to."

Lector had to smile a bit. "I must admit you have a point."

"So go back to bed!" Nesbitt stood. "You don't have to try to be all manly about it."

"No, I suppose not." Finally Lector took Nesbitt's advice and pulled the quilt back. He climbed wearily into the soft mattress, pulling the quilt up after him. "But I have no guarantee I'll go back to sleep. I often don't."

"Just try for a while," Nesbitt said gruffly. "Even if you don't sleep, just resting will probably help."

Lector nodded. "It might." He hesitated. "Thank you, Nesbitt. . . ."

Nesbitt just grunted. "It's nothing." He headed out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

For a while Lector just lay there, enjoying the softness and wishing he could sleep. Then he heard the others out in the hall.

"Lector's having trouble sleeping again?" That was Johnson.

"Yeah," Nesbitt said. "He's not feeling well. . . . He ate something with vinegar last night."

"Hoo boy." Crump sounded sympathetic. "I think the same thing kinda sent my stomach rollicking in the middle of the night. It settled down before too long, though. I know Lector can't take it much at all and it just floors him."

"Let's go downstairs before we wake him," Gansley said.

"He's probably not asleep yet, but he's hoping to be," Nesbitt said. They headed for the stairs.

"And you were hangin' around his door. . . . You're gonna stay home and try to make sure he really gets to sleep without bein' disturbed, aren't ya?" Crump said.

"Well . . . yes," Nesbitt confessed.

Lector smiled to himself. Nesbitt was endearingly awkward. He was still so new to recognizing he had friends he loved more than anything else, and he was often unsure how to act, but he tried his best. For all of his awkward tenderness and caring, he was one of the most sincere people Lector had ever met, and although Lector loved all of his friends, he did have a special bond with Nesbitt.

He rolled onto his side and finally slipped into a peaceful slumber.


Title: Can You Reach Me
Day/Prompt: April 19th, 2020: "I would enter your sleep if I could, and guard you there, and slay the thing that hounds you, as I would if it had the courage to face me in fair daylight. But I cannot come in unless you dream of me."
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Character/Pairing: The Big Five, focusing on Nesbitt and Lector
Rating/Warning(s): PG/K+

You're so quiet.

It's funny how I always used to want you to be quiet. I didn't like you and I was sick of you always criticizing me and all my ideas. I wished with all my heart that you weren't my boss.

Now I wish with all my heart that you'd wake up.

We've come so far since those early years. Has it really been over twenty? It doesn't seem that long that we've known each other, especially since there hasn't been much time at all that we've actually liked and understood each other.

And yet we found out we'd met as kids in New Orleans and got along just fine then. How does something like that happen? Out of everyone in that city, out of all the people and the hotels, how did my family end up registering at your family's hotel for Mardi Gras? What are the odds? I'm sure Crump could actually give me a number, but I don't really need to hear it.

I'm just distracting myself. More typically illogical human behavior. How do I really pretend this isn't happening?

How long has it been now? How many hours?

I'm still seeing you running out in front of me and taking the hit for me. I keep feeling the weight of your body falling back into my arms. I can't stop hearing that choked moan of pain before your breathing stopped.

I held you close to me and just broke down. I don't know how long I just knelt there on that abandoned bridge and just felt so helpless, like my entire world ended when your life did.

That's so illogical. How can one person have that affect on another?

I heard you struggle for life again and suddenly I was alive again too. There was hope where there had been nothing but death and sorrow. But it was a dark magic blast. The doctors could do nothing and we brought you home. They don't think you'll ever wake up.

Gansley told me to go to bed, that he would take over on watch. But I can't stop. I can't leave you. When you . . . if you die, I have to be there.

Crump told me I look like a wreck. He's probably right; he's always blunt about things like that.

They're all worried. Johnson too. They've been in and out. Usually at least one of them is in here. Sometimes all of them. They aren't having much luck sleeping either, but they feel they have to try, to keep their strength up.

That's logical. Why can't I be logical?

What's happening to you? Is it completely dark where you are? Or what if it's like what happened to Mai Valentine and you're lost in a neverending nightmare? That demon hurt you just as he hurt her. He said whoever was struck by his blast would not only die in body, but in mind and soul.

But . . . I can't let that happen! I can't let you suffer like that! I already thought I'd lost you on the bridge. I can't lose you for real. And if you died in mind and soul . . . we'd never be together again, even after I'm dead.

You don't look at peace. You look pained. If you're trapped in that demon's world, why can't I go in there after you? Why can't I link your mind with mine and help you defeat whatever is tormenting you in there and bring you back with me?

Science-fiction. As much as I love technology, I know it's not advanced enough for that yet. If it will ever be.

If it were possible, I would do it in a heartbeat. You know I would, don't you? I would get in there and I would fight off every fiend that's torturing you until they were all dead and you could come back. Just as I've tried to be there for you in the real world.

Technology can't do it, but I guess the Pharaoh or Yugi or someone might tell me that my caring for you could cause it. That's nonsense, though. The only way I could ever be there for you in whatever you're going through is if you dream I'm there.

. . . But if you're lost in that thing's world of horror, maybe you are dreaming of me and I'm not behaving as I would in reality. Maybe I'm hurting you.

Wake up! Why can't you wake up?!

Johnson came running in. He said I was yelling aloud. Was I? I don't even remember. Everything is a blur right now. I don't know how long it's been, or how tired I am, or if I'm even fully awake right now.

Is any of this even real? What if I'm dreaming? What if I was struck down and not you and I'm lost in my worst nightmare?

Losing you is my worst nightmare? Not just that, but losing you because you were trying to protect me?

I never understood those people who said they didn't know how they were going to go on without a particular person. It sounded so illogical to me that any level of caring could penetrate that deep.

But . . . I don't know how I'm going to go on without you, Lector.

My oldest friend. . . .

My brother. . . .

. . . I didn't mean to fall asleep, but somehow I did. I ended up falling forward on the bed and dozing off. You don't seem any different than before. You're still so quiet, so still. Your breathing is my only comfort, but it doesn't mean you'll wake up.

I've barely eaten anything, but the others have insisted I try. Sometimes I used to go for hours on end without food, if I was in the middle of a project. I've worn my body down since then, I guess. I'm so dizzy . . . I can't do it anymore.

Do you know I'm here at all? Do you know the others have been here too? I've sensed things sometimes, when I've been unconscious, but I haven't been trapped in that madman's world.

Where are you?!

I can't imagine how long it's been. Crump and the others come in and watch with me and try to offer comfort, but what can they really say? We all know you're strong, and determined, and that you'll fight tooth and nail to stay with us . . . but that doesn't mean it will always happen. Someday . . . maybe something will get the best of you.

That day could be today.

You can't leave us. You can't leave me. I need you. And I know you don't want to go. You want to stay here more than anything.

If I could only give you my strength. . . . If I could invent a technology that would bring you out of this. . . .

But I can't do anything but watch and wait.

Why can't I reach you? Your body is right here, but where's your mind? Your spirit?

I'm not used to being so helpless, with no solution in sight. I'm used to fixing problems!

. . . I couldn't do anything when we got stranded in cyberspace. I can't do anything now.

I know I'm not worthy, but I've even tried to pray. You deserve to live. I want you to live. If there's a just God, He won't take you.

. . . But so many die who should still be alive. None of it makes sense to me. What makes me think this situation would be any different? Why would God make an exception for you when He hasn't for others?

If it's not your time yet, He'll let you live, won't He? I don't even know. I was raised religious, but I fell away when I got old enough to know it wasn't making sense to me. I only recently started coming back, when we came to know God was real.

Please . . . come back to me. To all of us.

. . . I started dozing again. I'm so tired . . . and hungry. . . .

Am I just hallucinating from exhaustion, or did your hand move?

Lector?!

It did move! And . . . your eyes are opening . . . you're looking at me. . . . I never thought I'd see you looking at me again. . . . I don't even know how to react. But . . . I'm smiling in awe and joy. I can feel it. And you . . . you're looking at me so tired, so triumphant . . . so loving.

Lector . . . you came back!

This time I know I'm speaking aloud.

You smile and reach for me and I'm getting up, hugging you close. I can feel your arms around me. You're moving . . . you're back with me again.

"Of course I came back," you whisper in my ear. Your voice is weak, tired . . . but I'm so glad to hear it.

The others are here . . . I can hear them coming to the doorway and exclaiming in joy. They all want to reunite with you too.

But this, now . . . this is our moment.