Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Differences Don't Matter ❯ Day on the Town ( Chapter 2 )

Yugi followed after Makoto, the bartender, quietly but with awe stretched across his young face. The buildings and different shops amazed him to no end. He'd never seen anything like this before. The day before he'd been too scared to notice just how beautiful the city he'd been brought to was. His heart was beating rapidly against his chest as he tried taking it all in at once.

 

Suddenly something caught his eyes in the window reflection as he past by one of the many shops. Stopping in his tracks he quickly looked around and his mouth formed a small `O' and hands came up protectively across his chest shaking, eyes narrowed insecurely. Across the street and staring with a scrutinized expression was someone who looked remarkably like him.

 

The other male was leaning across the wall of one of the shops on the other side of the street with his arms crossed defiantly. At first glance to Yugi it seemed as if the man was indifferent to everything, but he could see something akin to anger or disgust as elves crossed past him. He must've felt eyes on him shortly after a female elf with blue hair up in braids following after an elderly woman because his gaze shifted quickly from the two ladies to Yugi so quickly that the young elf felt his heart jump beneath his hands.

 

His hair wasn't as spiky as Yugi's but it still stuck up a bit, and the elf was sure he was taller than him even if he was leaning against a wall. His clothes were disheveled slightly with some of the higher buttons on his shirt undone and it looked half tucked into his tight black pants. He was too far to see the eye color very well, but he was certain those must be every much as intimidating as the creature's air that surrounded him. Just having that unrelenting gaze focused so intently on him made a ball form in his throat, making it intensely hard to breathe. Yugi wasn't certain how he managed to pull it off with such an appearance, but he gave off something that just made him sure he was from the higher class of the city.

 

“Yugi,” Makoto's voice interrupted him and he jumped, startled, to look back at his master. “What are you doing? I turned around and you were gone.”

 

“S-sorry,” he squeaked embarrassedly, looking down with a slight blush pinking his cheeks.

 

“Make sure it doesn't happen again,” the larger man ordered before turning around and carrying on down the street again.

 

“Yes, sir,” Yugi whispered, his throat constricting around him, but he was sure the man didn't hear him anyway. He glanced back across the street and started. The boy was no where to be found. He looked both ways down the street and didn't see him anywhere. Shivering, he hurried to catch up the bartender.

 

~~

 

Yami walked down the street, feeling bored and slightly unnerved, though he didn't let that show. He couldn't believe the electricity that had just happened between him and that elf that couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from him. In all honesty, he actually felt a little intrigued by what had strangely occurred, but it left him as quickly as it had come.

 

Sighing with disinterest once more, he stopped to look into one of the shops and felt his teeth ground as he saw another elf that was being treated like something so low he was sure the creature didn't even feel living anymore. The greenish-blue haired elf was sprawled out on the floor looking up with a frightened expression as a middle-class family he recognized berated him about something. Due to all the clothes spread around the elf Yami assumed that the boy must've tripped and sent everything flying and the family didn't appreciate it very much. Yami kept his face impassive and willed his hands not to clench up angrily as they were literally quivering to do as they lay at his sides. Instead, he took a deep breath and forced himself away from the window.

 

Couldn't people see just how amazing such a discovery was? The elves were such beautiful and amazing creatures and they treated them like dirt, some even lower that that and it disgusted Yami. Before he was captivated by the elf belonging to the bartender he'd been just thinking about how much he wish he could just shout out how he thought all the people in the city were complete imbeciles for thinking they could treat such wondrous creatures as though they weren't worth even half of a penny.

 

His father had told him about how the victory in the forest had gone since he'd been one of the men who'd participated in the elves' capture. Frankly, he was surprised that the elves didn't put up much of a fight as they were being sold off like animals. He'd been expecting to wake up this morning to a city with vines tearing through the buildings like an ancient civilization long forgotten or animals from the forest rampaging around the city, attacking any humans that crossed their path. There wasn't anything of the sort and everything seemed just as out of control as the day before when he watched the woodland creatures being sold off carelessly. He wanted to be angry at them for giving in so easily, but after thinking it through he knew there just had to be a reason for them putting up a fight in the woods and not outside of them.

 

Yami was forced out of his thoughts as he suddenly tripped and fell in the dirt and he withheld a groan of annoyance when he heard a gasp of pain and just felt there was going to be a scene.

 

“You idiot,” a high-pitched squeal screamed.

 

“I-I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to…I was picking up what you told me to and - ” the quibbling stuttering broke off with the sound of a snap. Yami was almost afraid to look, knowing most likely what he would find. Biting the inside of his cheek, he glanced around and felt the anger rise in him against as he saw a wine colored haired elf with striking bright blue eyes, tears swimming around the edges, staring at the ground with terror and one dirty and pale hand holding his cheek, his form trembling terribly.

 

“You will apologize to Mister Motou immediately.”

 

The elf's head looked up to stare his mistress, a woman Yami didn't recognize very well but vaguely recalled seeing her a few times. “But, ma'am…”

 

“You dare talk back to me with such an ungrateful tone,” she interrupted again, raising her hand to strike the frightened boy once more. Before she could though Yami stood up quickly and held her back.

 

“It's quite alright, I assure you, my lady,” he said charmingly, plastering a fake smile on his face. It was easy enough since he was so accustomed to doing it when his father held some extravagant party or another.

 

“But, Mister -”

 

“I'm perfectly fine and it was entirely my fault to begin with. I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking and missed this striking creature sitting on the ground.” He made a point on to watch the elf's reaction but he was certain he saw his mouth fall open at such a compliment. If anything, it had to match the woman's very well.

 

“You can't possibly mean this filth,” she waved her hand absently towards the ground where the elf was still laying, holding his cheek loosely.

 

“Of course I do, who else would I mean? You must admit that they are truly beautiful creature, even when sitting in the dirt. They seem so graceful in everything they do,” he smiled, though it was easier that time when staring at such a shock and disbelief etched across all of the peoples' faces that were listening. He momentarily forgot about them though he turned back to the boy on the ground and held out his hand, trying not to growl when he flinched away at the movement. It seemed he was trusted though when the elf offered a shy smile and took his hand. Yami helped pull him up and dusted him off as casually as he could. “There no harm done,” Yami stepped away.

 

“T-thank you,” the wine-haired elf stuttered embarrassedly. “I apologize for knocking you over.”

 

Yami nodded and turned away. He hadn't wanted to accept the apology since it wasn't the elf's fault at all. He hadn't been paying attention so it was his fault. He wished he could've apologized, but it wouldn't do well to say it with all those people around. Word would certainly get back to his father and he'd get an earful of it. He wasn't about to risk it and wind up with someone trailing after him all the time making sure he didn't get into more trouble, someone like Ruther who already acted like his babysitter half the time.

 

Thinking of that jerk was bound to have consequences Yami thought irritably when Ruther himself stepped around the corner.

 

“Yami, just the boy I was looking for. Your father's asking for you.”

 

“I'm sure you were eager to come looking for me too. More money in your pocket when you can please him, right?”

 

“Young man, I will not tolerate being spoken to in such an ill-tempered manner.”

 

“Or what, you'll tell my father?”

 

“Without a doubt,” the man sneered.

 

“I'm quivering in my boots,” Yami provoked as he walked by. He smirked inwardly when he heard the man's breathing pick up in anger.

 

“Yami,” Ruther growled.

 

Yami paused and turned piercing eyes on the grey-haired man behind him. “Do you make it a lifetime goal to follow and keep tabs on me at all times of the day or were you born this infuriating?”

 

The older man grit his teeth and Yami could just hear the grinding as Ruther forced himself not to shout out. If word got to his father in less than an hour if he had apologized to that elf, one could just imagine how much faster it would've been if someone heard one of his father's cronies yelling at him. He couldn't contain the smirk as he thought about the things his father was bound to shout at the man in front of him. He had to give props to the man for something though. If anything, he had incredible control over how loud his voice got and always refrained from it getting too loud.

 

“Of course not, Yami,” Ruther retorted. “Your father merely requested that someone retrieve you and I offered to do.”

 

“What a good dog you are,” Yami started walked again. “You aim to please just like every other mutt.” He blocked out everything else Ruther said, certain steam was surging through his ears at this point.

 

~~

 

Yugi shyly pushed away the curtain of the dressing room. The bartender looked over and smiled.

 

“That looks good. Is it comfortable?”

 

The elf nodded. He glanced back at the mirror and looked over the outfit for yet another long glance. It wasn't anything special but it felt like it. He'd seen some of his fellow elves with their clothes already torn up from being pushed around all the time and it looked like they hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. From the attitude of their owners it didn't seem like they would be getting new attire any time soon either.

 

Black pants and a white long-sleeved pullover shirt hung on his thin frame. The shirt was a little baggy, but it still looked good on him. The brown boots that Makoto had picked up for him would go nicely with all things he'd tried on so far too. Even though he knew new clothes would be necessary if he was going to be working in the bar, he couldn't help but feel like he was betraying his family wearing the humans' clothes. He had to admit they were comfortable, but the material wasn't something he would get used to very easily. It wasn't anywhere near as soft as the elfin clothes or as elaborate either, but they were still nice altogether.

 

“I think three outfits will be good for now. You have to be sure to take care of them,” Makoto instructed. Yugi nodded, missing the approving smile that passed the bartender's face, and followed his owner to go pay for his new clothes.

 

He carried the bags down the street, following a few steps behind Makoto just like always. Yugi didn't think it would be right to walk beside him like equals even if the bartender did treat him better than some of the other elves he'd seen.

 

A loud yelp caught hit pointed ears and he turned to see what had caused it. His eyes widened and mouth fell open in shock as he saw one of his best friends, a wine-colored haired boy, laying in the dirt, curled up defensively and shivering as if freezing to death.

 

“Matsu,” he choked out, tears flooding his eyes and he let them drop carelessly.

 

The woman above the elf was shouting some thing or another, but Yugi blocked everything except the sight of his friend on the ground with angry red marks scoring his arm. They had to be caused by the cane the man beside the shouting woman, but Yugi couldn't be sure either way and wished he could just go over there and help. He was just about to too when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Looking up he saw Makoto shaking his head.

 

“It's better not to get involved unless you want to end up looking like that,” he pointed at Matsu.

 

“He's my friend,” Yugi choked out.

 

“You must feel some urge to help him then,” Makoto asked.

 

Yugi nodded, sniffing and hands clutching at his shirt in an attempt to grasp at something stable.

 

“You'd be helping more if you didn't go to him.”

 

The elf looked back up at the bartender, not understanding at all.

 

“Mister Matsui is very easy to anger. If you were to go over to your friend and get in Matsui's way you'd most likely just make it worse and your friend would be in even worse trouble once they got back to their house.”

 

Yugi didn't like the idea of just leaving his friend there, but didn't have much of a choice. Makoto obviously knew what he was talking about and knew the humans' attitudes and personalities better than he did. Nodding with defeat he allowed himself to be pulled away after he picked his bags back up from when he dropped them.

 

Arriving at the bar Makoto was nice enough to help distract Yugi enough with explaining the different things he was supposed to do and helping him go through each of them so he would know exactly what to do the next day when he opened the bar again. By the end he was so exhausted he could hardly stand and was grateful when he was excused to his room. He washed up quickly and fell into his straw bed with a sigh and fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.