insaneladybug (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
insaneladybug) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
31_days2020-09-12 07:54 pm
insaneladybug) wrote in 31_days2020-09-12 07:54 pm
Entry tags:
[September 12th] [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Love Survives
Title: Love Survives
Day/Prompt: September 12th - Between the dead and the sleeping
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Character/Pairing: The Big Five
Rating/Warning(s): K+, hurt/comfort
By Lucky_Ladybug
Crump was shaking as he knelt down beside the lifeless forms. "No," he choked out. "No. . . ."
Both Lector and Nesbitt were laying still and cold on the tiled ground, their arms around each other in a last, bittersweet embrace. Not even their rings had been strong enough to overpower their enemy's strange magical object. Having been unable to avoid the attack, they had sadly succumbed, clutching each other to offer what protection they could and to say what they feared was Goodbye.
"You creep!" Crump screamed. "What'd you do that for?! What'd you . . ." He choked on a sob as he laid a hand on each motionless shoulder. "Buddies . . ."
Gansley came over, his hand trembling as he tried to hold onto his cane. If only one of them had been attacked, they still would have both been lost anyway, as the other wouldn't have been able to stand going on without his cherished friend. But still, to see both of them struck down . . . it was devastating. His legs gave out and he crashed to his knees. "Sons. . . ."
It was Johnson who outright snapped. He screamed in rage and lashed out, blasting with his ring again and again in rapid succession, before their enemy could so much as even try to react or defend himself. When the wretch crashed to the floor, his magic object shattering in pieces, Johnson fell to the floor as well and sobbed in anguish.
Crump's hand was trembling as he pressed his fingers to Lector's neck and then to Nesbitt's, hoping against hope for one more miracle. Then he gasped. "They're alive!" he exclaimed.
Gansley and Johnson looked up with a collective jerk. "What?!"
"Are you sure?!" Johnson looked like he couldn't take any more heartbreak for one day.
"Yeah!" Crump said. "They're both completely out, but . . . they're not dead. . . . Maybe they did save each other. . . ."
Johnson sobbed for sheer joy now and fell over them, hugging them both. "Wake up," he pleaded. "Come back to us. . . ."
Gansley was the one to rest a shaking hand on each stilled shoulder now. "We have to get them back home," he said. "We'll watch over them until they wake up. . . ."
"Only problem is . . ." Crump tried to pry Lector's arm away and had no success. "I don't think they're gonna let go of each other. . . ."
Gansley watched and slowly shook his head. "They were so determined to protect each other that even in unconsciousness that desire and need persists." He bent over them, trying to speak in their ears. "It's alright now. You're safe. You can both let go of each other and we'll look after you."
At first there was no response. But then, slowly, their grips loosened.
Crump relaxed. "Yeah, that's right, Buddies," he said. He eased Lector away from Nesbitt and into his arms. "It's okay."
Lector groaned but didn't wake up.
Johnson reached down for Nesbitt. "They'd really better be alright," he choked out. "We don't even know what they were hit with!"
Gansley gave a heavy sigh. "Well, they're responding to us. That's a good sign. We'll take the broken pieces of what they were hit with and try to determine what it was."
"And what about the sleaze who blasted them?" Crump said darkly.
"I think he's dead," Johnson confessed. "If he's not, maybe we can send him to the Shadow Realm."
Gansley stood and made his way over to the fallen adversary. ". . . He's dead," he reported. He sank to one knee to gather the shards. "It was certainly in self-defense and the defense of others. He would have tried to kill the rest of us as well."
"Yes," Johnson said quietly as he held Nesbitt close.
****
Somehow they managed to get their fallen friends back to the house and upstairs to bed. They all had king-sized beds for the sheer amount of space, and that was certainly fortuitous now. Given what had happened, all the conscious members of the Big Five were certain that Lector and Nesbitt would recover much better if they were together. Each was carefully dressed in pajamas and laid on one side of the same bed.
"Here you go," Crump told them. "You're gonna be okay. Just rest and get your strength back." He was going to take their hands and lay them next to each other, but before he could, each desperately reached out, apparently seeking the other. When their hands met, both men relaxed. Crump had to smile. "Yeah . . . this was the only thing that could be."
He, Gansley, and Johnson kept their vigil over their friends long into the night. Eventually both Lector and Nesbitt rolled onto their sides and loosely draped their arms over each other.
Their conscious friends were still very wide awake. Johnson was sitting with the encyclopedia of magical objects on his lap, poring over each page in search of what their enemy had used. Finally he perked up. "This looks like it!" he cried, pointing at an urn-like design.
"That's it, alright," Crump said. "So what's it say?"
Johnson quickly skimmed over the page. "It says that strong love is the only thing that prevents a kill from it," he read in amazed disbelief. "So they really did save each other. . . ."
Gansley smiled. "How very fitting."
"It sure is," Crump said. He sighed sadly as he looked at the two. "You know, no matter how many times we havta go through trials like this, it never gets easier watching our buddies laying hurt and waiting for them to wake up. And we've never had two of them out at once before. . . ."
"Hopefully we will never have that again," Gansley said.
Johnson sighed too. "They look like they're sleeping, but they're not. . . ."
"At least they're both breathing," Crump said.
Johnson finally smiled. "Thankfully."
The hours dragged on.
It was Lector who awakened first, near morning. "Nesbitt?" he mumbled.
"He's here," Crump told him. "And you're finally waking up, Buddy! How are you feeling?!"
"I'm alright," Lector said slowly. He winced as he moved. He was likely aching even if nothing life-threatening was wrong. He stared down at himself and then at Nesbitt in awe. They had both believed they were about to be killed. Waking up relatively alright felt almost unbelievable after that.
"We've all been worried about you," Gansley said. "But when you and Nesbitt started moving and responding to us, we were sure you would recover."
Lector looked over at his still-unconscious friend. "I . . . I'm so sorry to have made all of you worry. . . ."
"Hey, you guys had to protect each other," Crump said. "We all get that. Any of us would have done the same thing, if we'd been close enough to the blast!"
Johnson nodded. He had been quiet, which wasn't unusual, but Lector quickly noticed that he seemed more subdued than usual. "Johnson?" He looked at his friend in concern. "What is it?"
Johnson drew a shaking breath. "I . . ." He straightened and took off his glasses, rubbing at his eyes. "I killed the one who attacked you both, and I don't regret it." He shuddered. "We thought you were dead at first, and I . . ."
Lector sat up, despite the pain. "Oh Johnson. . . ." He reached for the man, and even though Johnson wasn't usually physically affectionate, he let Lector embrace him and then hugged back.
"I thought we were dead too," Lector said. "I'm still amazed we're not."
"I couldn't take it anymore," Johnson whispered.
"You won't have to be arrested?" Lector asked in concern.
Johnson shook his head. "It was defense. He would have come after the rest of us as well."
"Very true," Lector agreed. "I'm sure he would have."
He looked to Nesbitt. "I'm not sure which of us took the brunt of the blast. . . . We were each trying so hard to protect the other. . . ." He reached and laid a hand on Nesbitt's. "Please wake up. . . ."
Nesbitt grunted and stirred. "Lector? . . ." He was up like a shot. "You're alright?!"
Lector jumped. "Nesbitt, I'm fine!" he exclaimed. "Lay back down; you're hurt!"
The pain washed over Nesbitt in the next instant and he grimaced, sinking back into the bed. "Ugh. . . ."
Gansley gave a gruff but sincere smile. "You're both going to be alright," he said. "Thank God. And thanks to your determination to look out for each other."
Nesbitt laid where he was and looked up at Lector and the others. "Eh?"
"The magic object you guys were blasted with only doesn't kill if there's a lot of strong love going around," Crump explained.
Lector was surprised too. "Really?"
Gansley nodded. "Johnson found the object in the book."
Lector leaned back in amazement. "Well, how about that. . . ."
Nesbitt was still baffled and reeling. "Everything's alright then?"
"Yes, Nesbitt." Lector smiled, laying a hand on his shoulder now. "There's no need to worry. We saved each other, and Johnson saved the rest of us."
Johnson finally smiled now, seeing that both of his friends were awake. He could finally, fully believe they would recover. "I'm glad I could."
Gansley rested a hand on his shoulder. "Let's just hope no one can reassemble that magical object," he said.
"I'm hoping!" Crump exclaimed. "We'll havta keep the pieces with us. But I don't think we've got too much to worry about. Even if somebody puts it together again and tries to use it on any of us again, it's not like they'll get anywhere!"
"I thoroughly agree," Lector said. "We will always be able to push its power back."
Nesbitt gruffly smiled. In the past he might have remained skeptical, but by now he knew they were right. Their love would not fade away.
Day/Prompt: September 12th - Between the dead and the sleeping
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Character/Pairing: The Big Five
Rating/Warning(s): K+, hurt/comfort
Crump was shaking as he knelt down beside the lifeless forms. "No," he choked out. "No. . . ."
Both Lector and Nesbitt were laying still and cold on the tiled ground, their arms around each other in a last, bittersweet embrace. Not even their rings had been strong enough to overpower their enemy's strange magical object. Having been unable to avoid the attack, they had sadly succumbed, clutching each other to offer what protection they could and to say what they feared was Goodbye.
"You creep!" Crump screamed. "What'd you do that for?! What'd you . . ." He choked on a sob as he laid a hand on each motionless shoulder. "Buddies . . ."
Gansley came over, his hand trembling as he tried to hold onto his cane. If only one of them had been attacked, they still would have both been lost anyway, as the other wouldn't have been able to stand going on without his cherished friend. But still, to see both of them struck down . . . it was devastating. His legs gave out and he crashed to his knees. "Sons. . . ."
It was Johnson who outright snapped. He screamed in rage and lashed out, blasting with his ring again and again in rapid succession, before their enemy could so much as even try to react or defend himself. When the wretch crashed to the floor, his magic object shattering in pieces, Johnson fell to the floor as well and sobbed in anguish.
Crump's hand was trembling as he pressed his fingers to Lector's neck and then to Nesbitt's, hoping against hope for one more miracle. Then he gasped. "They're alive!" he exclaimed.
Gansley and Johnson looked up with a collective jerk. "What?!"
"Are you sure?!" Johnson looked like he couldn't take any more heartbreak for one day.
"Yeah!" Crump said. "They're both completely out, but . . . they're not dead. . . . Maybe they did save each other. . . ."
Johnson sobbed for sheer joy now and fell over them, hugging them both. "Wake up," he pleaded. "Come back to us. . . ."
Gansley was the one to rest a shaking hand on each stilled shoulder now. "We have to get them back home," he said. "We'll watch over them until they wake up. . . ."
"Only problem is . . ." Crump tried to pry Lector's arm away and had no success. "I don't think they're gonna let go of each other. . . ."
Gansley watched and slowly shook his head. "They were so determined to protect each other that even in unconsciousness that desire and need persists." He bent over them, trying to speak in their ears. "It's alright now. You're safe. You can both let go of each other and we'll look after you."
At first there was no response. But then, slowly, their grips loosened.
Crump relaxed. "Yeah, that's right, Buddies," he said. He eased Lector away from Nesbitt and into his arms. "It's okay."
Lector groaned but didn't wake up.
Johnson reached down for Nesbitt. "They'd really better be alright," he choked out. "We don't even know what they were hit with!"
Gansley gave a heavy sigh. "Well, they're responding to us. That's a good sign. We'll take the broken pieces of what they were hit with and try to determine what it was."
"And what about the sleaze who blasted them?" Crump said darkly.
"I think he's dead," Johnson confessed. "If he's not, maybe we can send him to the Shadow Realm."
Gansley stood and made his way over to the fallen adversary. ". . . He's dead," he reported. He sank to one knee to gather the shards. "It was certainly in self-defense and the defense of others. He would have tried to kill the rest of us as well."
"Yes," Johnson said quietly as he held Nesbitt close.
Somehow they managed to get their fallen friends back to the house and upstairs to bed. They all had king-sized beds for the sheer amount of space, and that was certainly fortuitous now. Given what had happened, all the conscious members of the Big Five were certain that Lector and Nesbitt would recover much better if they were together. Each was carefully dressed in pajamas and laid on one side of the same bed.
"Here you go," Crump told them. "You're gonna be okay. Just rest and get your strength back." He was going to take their hands and lay them next to each other, but before he could, each desperately reached out, apparently seeking the other. When their hands met, both men relaxed. Crump had to smile. "Yeah . . . this was the only thing that could be."
He, Gansley, and Johnson kept their vigil over their friends long into the night. Eventually both Lector and Nesbitt rolled onto their sides and loosely draped their arms over each other.
Their conscious friends were still very wide awake. Johnson was sitting with the encyclopedia of magical objects on his lap, poring over each page in search of what their enemy had used. Finally he perked up. "This looks like it!" he cried, pointing at an urn-like design.
"That's it, alright," Crump said. "So what's it say?"
Johnson quickly skimmed over the page. "It says that strong love is the only thing that prevents a kill from it," he read in amazed disbelief. "So they really did save each other. . . ."
Gansley smiled. "How very fitting."
"It sure is," Crump said. He sighed sadly as he looked at the two. "You know, no matter how many times we havta go through trials like this, it never gets easier watching our buddies laying hurt and waiting for them to wake up. And we've never had two of them out at once before. . . ."
"Hopefully we will never have that again," Gansley said.
Johnson sighed too. "They look like they're sleeping, but they're not. . . ."
"At least they're both breathing," Crump said.
Johnson finally smiled. "Thankfully."
The hours dragged on.
It was Lector who awakened first, near morning. "Nesbitt?" he mumbled.
"He's here," Crump told him. "And you're finally waking up, Buddy! How are you feeling?!"
"I'm alright," Lector said slowly. He winced as he moved. He was likely aching even if nothing life-threatening was wrong. He stared down at himself and then at Nesbitt in awe. They had both believed they were about to be killed. Waking up relatively alright felt almost unbelievable after that.
"We've all been worried about you," Gansley said. "But when you and Nesbitt started moving and responding to us, we were sure you would recover."
Lector looked over at his still-unconscious friend. "I . . . I'm so sorry to have made all of you worry. . . ."
"Hey, you guys had to protect each other," Crump said. "We all get that. Any of us would have done the same thing, if we'd been close enough to the blast!"
Johnson nodded. He had been quiet, which wasn't unusual, but Lector quickly noticed that he seemed more subdued than usual. "Johnson?" He looked at his friend in concern. "What is it?"
Johnson drew a shaking breath. "I . . ." He straightened and took off his glasses, rubbing at his eyes. "I killed the one who attacked you both, and I don't regret it." He shuddered. "We thought you were dead at first, and I . . ."
Lector sat up, despite the pain. "Oh Johnson. . . ." He reached for the man, and even though Johnson wasn't usually physically affectionate, he let Lector embrace him and then hugged back.
"I thought we were dead too," Lector said. "I'm still amazed we're not."
"I couldn't take it anymore," Johnson whispered.
"You won't have to be arrested?" Lector asked in concern.
Johnson shook his head. "It was defense. He would have come after the rest of us as well."
"Very true," Lector agreed. "I'm sure he would have."
He looked to Nesbitt. "I'm not sure which of us took the brunt of the blast. . . . We were each trying so hard to protect the other. . . ." He reached and laid a hand on Nesbitt's. "Please wake up. . . ."
Nesbitt grunted and stirred. "Lector? . . ." He was up like a shot. "You're alright?!"
Lector jumped. "Nesbitt, I'm fine!" he exclaimed. "Lay back down; you're hurt!"
The pain washed over Nesbitt in the next instant and he grimaced, sinking back into the bed. "Ugh. . . ."
Gansley gave a gruff but sincere smile. "You're both going to be alright," he said. "Thank God. And thanks to your determination to look out for each other."
Nesbitt laid where he was and looked up at Lector and the others. "Eh?"
"The magic object you guys were blasted with only doesn't kill if there's a lot of strong love going around," Crump explained.
Lector was surprised too. "Really?"
Gansley nodded. "Johnson found the object in the book."
Lector leaned back in amazement. "Well, how about that. . . ."
Nesbitt was still baffled and reeling. "Everything's alright then?"
"Yes, Nesbitt." Lector smiled, laying a hand on his shoulder now. "There's no need to worry. We saved each other, and Johnson saved the rest of us."
Johnson finally smiled now, seeing that both of his friends were awake. He could finally, fully believe they would recover. "I'm glad I could."
Gansley rested a hand on his shoulder. "Let's just hope no one can reassemble that magical object," he said.
"I'm hoping!" Crump exclaimed. "We'll havta keep the pieces with us. But I don't think we've got too much to worry about. Even if somebody puts it together again and tries to use it on any of us again, it's not like they'll get anywhere!"
"I thoroughly agree," Lector said. "We will always be able to push its power back."
Nesbitt gruffly smiled. In the past he might have remained skeptical, but by now he knew they were right. Their love would not fade away.