Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Differences Don't Matter ❯ No Regrets ( Chapter 5 )

“I like having you here, Yugi. I enjoy spending time with you and getting to know you. You know that, right?”

 

Yugi rolled the thought around in his head, ricocheting around like a renegade ping-pong match. Each time the sentence repeated itself something warm inside Yugi's chest grew and he smiled inwardly. Looking up from the table he was cleaning to see Makoto busying himself behind the bar and he knew Makoto meant what he said, along with all the things he didn't say lying underneath that comment. He knew Makoto silently said that he would protect him from the people that wanted to hurt him and that he wouldn't let him down.

 

“Are you almost finished with those tables, Yugi,” Makoto called from the backroom, having moved some boxes back there.

 

Jumping, Yugi continued to scrub the much-used, wooden tabletop. “Almost, there's only a few more to do. Did you need me for something?”

 

“I need some help back here when you're done. There are a few things I can't reach.”

 

“I'll finish quickly then,” he called back. With more vigor than before he scrubbed at the beer-stained top.

 

Makoto had said it a few weeks ago, but Yugi knew it held no less of a meaning than the first time it was said. After Yugi had heard Makoto say something like that, he made sure to work as hard as possible in the bar and try to not give the kind barkeeper any troubles that weren't necessary. He'd even gone as far as offering to run errands for Makoto so he wouldn't have to worry about the bar while he was gone.

 

There was one day that Yugi couldn't forget though and he shivered as he moved on to another table. Taking the drenched rag out of the bucket of water he began scrubbing once more as he remembered coming back from a short errand to one of Makoto's friend's house, delivering a message.

 

A tall, well-dressed man stalked out of the bar, slamming the heavy, wooden door behind him with fury. Yugi had frozen in his place, hoping to put some distance between them rather than walking past him to get inside the bar. The man, however, looked right at him and glared as if he'd done something terribly sinful towards the man and the look in his eyes made goose bumps rise on Yugi's pale flesh. The elf was petrified that the man would say something to him, so when the man turned and walked in the opposite direction a few long seconds later, a large breath of relief escaped Yugi before he scurried back inside the bar.

 

Most of the heads had turned to stare at Yugi when he'd hurriedly closed the door behind him, but he now knew that it wasn't from the oddity of the situation, but rather who had come through the door to begin with. Even being shy and frightened of most humans since the day he'd been caught in the forest, having worked in an environment with someone like Makoto had been good for the elf. He'd become much braver and only looked at his shoes when one of the customers spoke to him, but other than that his head was held high. It was shortly after that when he realized that most of the people in the bar stared at him like starved men stare at a banquet fit for a king. It was a little unnerving and after realizing that peoples' stares hardly ever stopped he hid in the back room where Makoto found him a couple hours later.

 

“What are you doing, Yugi? I've been looking for you for ages,” he'd said with a chuckle.

 

Yugi explained what happened and Makoto was quiet for a while. Then he shook his head and pulled Yugi closer to him to give him a faint hug. “Just ignore them, Yugi. They're people who don't have anything better to do with their lives than sit there and stare.”

 

The amethyst-eyed elf smiled lightly and nodded. “Okay.”

 

Since then, Yugi just ignored everyone who stared at him in the bar and out on the town, only reminding himself of Makoto's simple words to him each time until he knew them so well they came naturally. There were a few times when someone would go so bold as to touch him unnecessarily, but he did his best to try not letting it get to him. There wasn't much he could do about those anyway.

 

“There you are, Yugi,” Makoto called when he looked up from the front bar. Yugi hurried over to him and greeted him warmly, his cheeks pink from the cold outside. “I was worried you were having troubles finding the place.” Looking over Yugi once more he chuckled, and ruffled his hair, “Or froze from the cold.”

 

“Winter is much more noticeably than it is back in the forest. It hasn't even snowed yet,” Yugi exclaimed cheerfully.

 

“Yes, I suppose it is.”

 

It was with that simple phrase that Yugi realized something was off about Makoto. He'd wanted to ask about it, but not when there were so many people who could overhear and he didn't want people thinking ill of the bartender because he was kind to his slave.

 

“Really though, Yugi, are you well? You looked a bit pale first coming in,” the bartender questioned with concern.

 

“Yes, yes, I'm fine, sir,” he lied, not looking at Makoto as he did. He didn't want to bother the kind man with something like a person glaring more harshly than usual at him. There wasn't any reason for it since nothing could be done about it now.

 

“Very well then, if you're sure. Here,” he put three heavy mugs on the counter, “give these to the men in the back corner table.” Makoto pointed them out and shooed Yugi off.

 

Thinking back on it then, Yugi realized that the same man had come in much more often than he normally did. He always claimed the same table too and ordered the same thing. He was the only one that still unnerved Yugi and churned the contents of his stomach now.

 

Just as he finished up with the last of the tables and about to go in the storage room to help Makoto, that same man barged in and plopped down in his regular seat. Obviously, Makoto was no where to be seen so he glared at Yugi and barked out to get his regular. With a jump, Yugi hurried to the storage room.

 

Makoto heaved a large sigh and showed Yugi what things he needed from a narrow, and tightly squeezed area of the room and told them where to put them before marching out to deal with the man.

 

It was silent for a while, except for the clink of the glass mug and the murmurs of the two men talking, so Yugi didn't think about anything except his task until a sudden crash made his heart jump to his throat and Makoto shouting at the man while dragging him out of the bar. Yugi watched with horror with his hands clutched tightly around him. The shouting from outside was barely audible and bumps rose on his arms not just from the chill from the door opening and letting the winter's nipping wind inside. The elf hurriedly finished his task and made to fix the dying fire that sat on the leftmost wall of the building.

 

Just as the fire crackled back to life Makoto came back in and detachedly thanked Yugi for fixing it. Light flecks of white on the bartender's coat made the elf shiver further and scoot closer to the licking, orange flames. Now that it had started to snow he doubted he'd be going outside until he got something a lot warmer to wear.

 

The barkeeper made to clean the mug out when Yugi hurriedly snatched it up from the table. When asked what he thought he was doing the elf smiled brightly and said, “Let me take care of this while you go rest. You're going to catch a cold if you keep pushing yourself without letting yourself warm up first.”

 

Makoto chuckled and ruffled his hair, one of his favorite things to do when the two of them were alone. He appreciated how Yugi tried keeping how closely they interacted with each other in the public to a minimum some people didn't get angry over it. At first he wasn't sure what to think of it, but he caught on when Yugi glanced around at the people when he started to ask about it.

 

“If you don't mind, Makoto,” Yugi said thoughtfully, filling the mug with water to rinse it out, “why does that man keep trying to pick fights with you? It seems like each time he comes in here there's some kind of shouting match lately.”

 

“Nothing you need to worry yourself with, Yugi,” the barkeeper answered vaguely. “Just ignore him when he comes in from now on. I'll take care of him.”

 

“Yes, sir,” he answered and went back to his work on the mug. Yugi didn't have much time to dwell on the subject anyway as the usual rush of people started coming in to warm themselves from the cold and get a drink. He gladly took his mind off the strange man and the unnerving looks he sends him to take care of the customers.

 

However, it wasn't the last he saw of that man. He came in much more frequently than Yugi remembered and he didn't like the outcome of any of his visits. Sometimes he would first sit down and drink for a while that death-glare planted on his face, directed at Yugi, before he stomped over to Makoto and started arguing with him, in which case the bartender would drag him outside. Most times though he would first go to Makoto and begin with arguing before sitting at a table and drinking. Makoto would tell him to try and ignore him, but Yugi was finding it harder and harder to do each time. After what seemed like the millionth time to Yugi that the man started an argument with Makoto the man stormed out of the bar without the bartender having to drag him out and didn't come back for weeks. Yugi hoped it would stay that way.

 

However, it wasn't until his next day off, about a month later after the man disappeared from the bar, that Yugi woke up to the sound of his familiarly gruff voice shouting loudly, echoing throughout the front end of the bar. Sleepily rubbing his eyes, he stumbled out of bed and went to go see what the commotion was.

 

The man was standing in front of Makoto fuming. Yugi never had any real chance to look at the man before because he was always staring at him, but now that his attention wasn't on him for once Yugi took his chance to see if he was really as scary as his temper made him seem. He had black air with streaks of grey hairs in a few random places and he was nicely dressed, much like the crimson-eyed teenager he saw around the town whenever he went out. His brow was creased angrily and his brown eyes seem to glow with hatred, hatred aimed wholly at Makoto, who was standing there letting the man scream all sorts of obscurities at him.

 

“Damn it, old man, why won't you give that brat up,” the man heaved. Yugi's eyes widened and his hands clenched into fists around the cloth of his shirt.

 

All this time he wondered. This whole time that man was coming here drinking and scowling, shouting at Makoto unnecessarily and it was because of me the entire time? Why didn't Makoto say anything to me before? This was something that I need to worry about. I can tell that he doesn't like this man very much so why does he put up with him?

 

“I won't give him up because Yugi likes being here and I enjoy his company. It's hard for him to watch his friends and family bullied around by the people in this town that it's a miracle for him to even be smiling still,” Makoto answered. “I will not ever give someone so precious to me up to the likes of someone like you for any reason at all.”

 

“He shouldn't mean so much to you, Makoto! He's an elf, utterly and completely useless except for chores and beating around! You aren't going to use him to his full potential so why should you keep him,” the man spat.

 

“Because, Shigure,” the bartender answered calmly, “I don't use him. I ask things of him and he has every right to say no to me if he wished it, but he wouldn't dare because the people of this town make it so he's too scared to say anything.”

 

“You old geezer, I will make you give that elfin brat up one way or another! Even if I have to bring an end to each one of your family members and everything else you care about before you do,” the man, Shigure, threatened.

 

Yugi's eyes widened and his fists clenched even more tightly, causing half-moon indents to imprint on palms. He hardly even noticed.

 

“Let's see you try.”

 

“No,” Yugi shouted, running over to stand in between the fuming Shigure and the surprised Makoto. “Please,” he cried, cheeks pink and eyes flooding with tears, “please, don't do anything to him. He's been so kind to me. I couldn't bear it if all his precious things were taken away from him. He'd be so sad and I wouldn't be able to live with myself.”

 

“Yugi, go back to your room. I don't want you to hear this.” Makoto ordered.

 

“No, I just heard you say I could refuse what you say whenever I don't like it and this is one of those times,” Yugi cried, shaking his head sadly.

 

“You would do anything for him, wouldn't you, brat,” Shigure asked with a smirk.

 

Yugi nodded, looking at the ground, tears dropping and staining the wood floor.

 

“No, Yugi, don't,” Makoto started to argue.

 

“You want me to go with you, don't you,” Yugi asked sadly, ignoring what Makoto said entirely.

 

“Smart thing you are; yes, I want you to come stay with me.”

 

The elf didn't even hesitate when he nodded to the man. “I'll do it. I'll go with you as long as Makoto and his family stays safe.”

 

“No, Yugi, I won't let you do this,” Makoto demanded.

 

“Please, Makoto, you've done so much for me. At least doing this I know I'm repaying you for all of it, even if it's only one small thing.” Slowly holding out his wrist, he waited patiently.

 

With a sad sigh and shaky hands, Makoto removed the branded bracelet from Yugi's wrist and watched horrifically as Shigure immediately removed a similar bracelet, only with his name engraved on it, and snapped it on Yugi's pale, thin wrist.

 

“Good day to you, Makoto. It was a pleasure doing business with you. We should talk again soon,” the man turned to walk out the door. “Come along, brat.”

 

Yugi nodded goodbye to Makoto and followed his new owner out the door.

 

The walk home was cold and Yugi shivered to himself and watched the curious stares from the people all around him. Somehow, Makoto's words weren't working like they normally did when he found peoples' stares unnerving to him. His best guess, however, would be because of the person he was following and their curiosity as to why. He did his best not to pay attention to them though.

 

Approaching the home of Shigure, Yugi saw a woman with a sour expression planted on her face and auburn hair framing her face waiting at the front door along with two children. The son looked to be in his late teens and had the same important demeanor around him as Shigure. He was a bit taller than the woman he stood beside. The other soon looked to be only beginning his teens and had a more childlike air about him. Yugi shivered nervously and awkwardly as the family greeted each other cheerfully before the man turned back to him and barked out to get dinner started immediately and hung a threat in the air that if anything was burnt he'd be in for it.

 

I have a feeling this is going to be very different from Makoto, but it's too late to regret this decision. I'm glad I was able to help Makoto and it's not like I'll never see him again.

 

A slap to his face shocked him out of his thoughts and he looked up hurtfully at the woman as she glared at him. “Trying to act like than your better than us by moving at your own pace,” she accused.

 

“No, no, of course not,” Yugi began to argue. He didn't get halfway through his comment before Shigure grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back so he tripped off the stairs and landed on his back in the cold snow, soaking his clothes with a muddy slush.

 

“You will not talk back to my wife. You will do as your told,” was barked at him before the family went back inside and ignored him as he pulled himself off the ground and rubbed his cold back and knowing there'd be a bruise where he had landed forcefully.

 

This is going to be very different from Makoto. I know it now. But I can't regret this decision; I won't.