Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Happy With You ❯ Unhappy Hand-Me-Downs ( Chapter 2 )

Unhappy Hand-Me-Downs

The spirit of the Millennium Puzzle woke to the sounds of birds from outside the window. He stretched and yawned slightly, feeling incredibly better. His throat was a bit scratchy from coughing so much the last few days and a few small coughing ever now and then. He carefully removed himself from the entanglement of sheets and his aibou's hand resting on his back and headed to the bathroom to freshen up a bit.

When he walked back into the room he noticed his little light was still asleep with the many covers over his angelic face. Shaking his head he walked over and brought the covers back to awaken his light and inform his it was Christmas morning. When he did though he got a very unexpected surprise. Yugi's cheeks were a rosy pink and his face a sweat beads forming over his otherwise perfect face.

Yami placed his palm on the smaller one's forehead only to pull it back a second later. His light felt just as warm as he had been when he had first gotten sick. Worry and concern fled through him as he rushed out of the worry and downstairs, returning minutes later with Grandpa.

Grandpa placed the thermometer into his grandson's mouth gently as to not wake him and startle him. It beeped a few minutes later and the old man looked at the small screen.

"Well?" Asked the worried Yami looking over the man's shoulder to see for himself.

"Well, it seems Yugi has gotten sick now. Not surprising really."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, from the first day you were sick Yugi's been at your side caring for you. Meaning he was around you while you were contagious to him. It seems that he finally got sick after being exposed to you while you were sick for that while."

Yami's crimson eyes widened at realization. `I bet Yugi knew I was contagious to him too. He did seem a bit tired and drooping yesterday but I thought he was just tired from taking care of me nonstop for that short time.'

Before Grandpa left he pulled the covers back over the boy. Yami remained where he was, watching his light with sad eyes. `He risked getting sick to take care of me. But why? Is he really that selfless?'

Grandpa peeked his head in once more and told Yami to come down and get something in stomach since he hasn't eaten much of anything while he'd been sick. Yami reluctantly agreed and followed Grandpa downstairs to eat.

A few minutes after they had finished their breakfast they heard the toilet flush from the bathroom upstairs and Yami went to go check on Yugi. When he looked in the bathroom though what he saw made him worry about his light even more. Yugi was leaning over the toilet, chucking everything he had in his weakened stomach out in the bowl. Yami could only watch helplessly as his little light suffered from a cold he had given to him. He felt so useless as Yugi slowly finished his unwanted task.

When there was nothing left Yami help Yugi up and sat him on the counter and cleaned his face up and then carried him back to bed. He left to go get a wet washcloth and then placed it on Yugi's burning forehead to help him just like Yugi had done with him. Yugi nodded his thanks and went to sleep easily after Yami gratefully turned the room heater back on and covered him up in the covers.

A couple hours later when it was around 10:30am, Joey and the others came around. They headed up to Yugi's room while he was still sleeping but were stopped midway on the stairs and led back down to the living room by Yami.

"What gives, Yami?" Joey asked once they all settled down.

"Yugi got sick last night because of me and now he has the same thing wrong with him.

Everyone except Yami's eyes turned to look at the stairs sadly. Ryou had told everyone that Yami had been sick and that's why they couldn't come to the party the night before after he'd called Yugi up so everyone already knew what was wrong with little Yugi.

"But it's Christmas!" Complained Tea, obviously upset that Yugi no doubt had to stay in bed.

"It doesn't matter. Grandpa already made it clear that Yugi's to stay in bed and no one but me and him can go up there. It's mostly me though since Grandpa's keeping his store open even he doesn't expect very many customers." Yami explained.

"Can't he come downstairs for a little while? Just to open his presents with everyone else?" Ryou asked as everyone looked back at Yami. On the inside Ryou felt terrible for Yugi and felt sorry that he had to get sick on such a great day. He knew it wasn't going to be the same without the innocent light with them laughing and opening his gifts with everyone else.

Yami was about to answer that he didn't know when Grandpa came in with hot chocolate for everyone, taking a break from the store for a moment, and answered that Yugi would have to miss it since his fever was still pretty high since he had Yami check for him when he last went up there and Yami had told him. And that he needed more rest instead of excitement at the time.

Yugi heard the group's discussion as he was going to the bathroom, feeling the need to throw up again, but forgot about it when he heard what they were saying. He left the wall he was using to steady him and came downstairs with a fake smile on his face. "I'm fine you guys!" Yugi called as he walked slowly down the stairs. Everyone's faces turned to look surprisingly at the little light. "I was probably just hot since I took care of Yami and then it was also really hot last night with that room heater and all on. I feel just great now!"

Everyone looked at him and the answer was clearly written out plain and simple on Yugi's face. His cheeks were still the rosy pink from earlier when Yami had first seen them earlier that morning and small sweat beads could be seen in the light on his face. His eyes also looked exhausted and were drooping shut and their usually joyous sparkling that were usually in them was completely dull and lifeless.

Yugi was giggling slightly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Imagine me being sick on such a great holiday? I'm fine guys, really!" Yugi laughed but got into a huge coughing fit second later. He was washed over with dizziness as well and swayed back and forth.

Yami jumped from the couch and ran up the steps just in time to catch his light in his arms before he could fall down the stairs. He excused himself from the others for a moment and headed to Yugi's room, carrying him bridal style, to put the little one back to bed.

When he passed the bathroom Yugi tugged his darker's sleeve and whispered he needed the bathroom. Yami understood and rushed him over, soothing his hair as he emptied everything else that hadn't been emptied from before.

Once the sickly boy had finished and was cleaned up, Yami continued the rest of the way to his light's bed, covering him up and bringing the room heater closer to the bed after feeling his light's hand was a little colder than he felt comfortable with. He coaxed him into going to sleep and once he did he kissed his secret lover on the forehead, ignoring the fact that it was wet with sweat and then left the room to rejoin the others downstairs.

That night Yugi was still asleep and the others were opening their gifts, trying to forget that Yugi was still upstairs sick and nobody but Yami, and sometimes Grandpa, could go up there. Malik suggested they take Yugi's gifts up to him so he could open them with everyone but Grandpa immediately refused anybody but Yami going up there because he didn't want anyone getting sick as well. Bakura looked to his light and then up to the stairs. He too wished that there was someway of help the fragile Yugi but there wasn't anything as long as Grandpa said to stay away.

After everyone left Yami took his light's presents up to him and watched him open them sadly. Once he was done Yugi was just about to go to sleep again like his Gramps told him too, but Yami took a piece of paper from his pocket that everyone had written a note to Yugi on it, smiling at his light and hoping this would hopefully cheer him up a little bit.

Yugi~

Sorry to hear that you got sick, especially on today of all days. We hope that you enjoy the gifts I got you. Thanks for the book that you got for Bakura and me. I'm sure we'll both enjoy reading it. Bakura's already asked me to start reading it aloud once we get home.

Your Friend,

Ryou and Bakura

Yuge-

Hey buddy! Sorry to hear ya not feelin well. You got it real bad this time. Well, thanks for the booster packs that you got for my deck. There's some really good cards in them too. Well laters, but buddy! Get well soon, okay!

-Joey

Hey dude

Thanks for the cool jacket, Yugi. How'd you know that it was the same one was head over heels for in that store? No matter. Just get some rest and maybe we'll get to talk a bit later if you're feeling up to it.

Tristen

Dear Yugi,

Hello, Yugi. I'm so sorry you aren't feeling well today. I hope you get better soon and thanks for the `Book of Quotes' book you gave to me. I've already started loving it. I hope you enjoy my gift to you as well.

Tea

Yugi~

We hope that you'll feel better soon. Don't know if you heard it or not but Joey and Tristen got into another one of their fights over nothing again. It was kind of irritating really; it was giving Marik and me a migraine just watching them go at it. Thanks for booster packs you gave to us by the way. It was actually a very rare card in one of them as well. I think that's what Joey and Tristen were arguing over: the rarest card. Anyways, we best let you get some rest so you can feel better.

Malik and Marik

Once Yugi read it and indeed it made him look considerably happier; making him go to sleep for the umpteenth time it seemed to Yami that day. He hated the way his Grandpa kept telling Yugi to sleep, especially on Christmas and couldn't bend the rules to have Yugi come down stairs to open his presents with everyone else instead of being alone to do it.

Yami frowned once Yugi was comfortably asleep. He leaned down to his dream lover and, making sure Yugi wasn't going to awaken, kissed him on the cheek tenderly and whispered `I love you, aibou' in his ear. Then slowly retreated out the door to get some hot chocolate before coming back up and watch his source of affection sleep peacefully, the note he'd given to Yugi still in his hand.