Carry On

A/N: Thank you to those of you who are reading this story, and an extra special thank you to those who have reviewed! I hope you continue to like this story. ^_^ I'll figure out a better way to respond to your reviews by next chapter. That's the one feature missing here: no review replies.













Chapter Two – Compliance





Atemu allowed the water to turn colder than was comfortable as his wrist twisted the shower knob. He released it when his body began to shiver and resumed his position of resting his forehead on his hands that were against the wall. This allowed the ice-cold water to hit the base of his neck and run down his spine while leaving his hair and face relatively dry. It also provided the quickest root for the chill to spread throughout his body.



The relaxation his showers usually provided wasn’t obliging this evening. Earlier he’d gone down to the bar in the hopes that a social setting would, at the least, distract him for a few hours. He had counted himself lucky that someone was playing the piano, especially since the bar was empty, because listening to music always had a calming effect on him. The guy wasn’t great, but his efforts were pleasing enough and Atemu had joined the man on the bench.



Atemu shifted his weight and sighed, raising his head to get a shot of frigid water in his face. Four shots of Tequila had not been his best decision. The fact that he didn’t drink much was evidenced by the splitting headache, the nausea, and the small tremors that kept quivering through his muscles. But god damn it, how did they think he was going to react? He punched his fist a little too hard into the brown ceramic tiles of the shower and winced at the pain. He should really stop asking himself that question. His parents had known exactly how he would react, and this was why they had opted to tell him in a letter. Atemu grinned into the spray without humor. No better way to prove themselves correct than to provoke the exact reaction they detested, right? His parents were many things, but stupid wasn’t one of them.



“Way to live up to expectations,” Atemu scolded himself. He’d left off the word “jerk,” but just barely. It would only prove another victory for his parents if he began to refer to himself in the manner in which they saw him.



With a grunt Atemu turned off the water and pulled aside the shower curtain in one curt motion. Not to his surprise he’d forgotten to put the bathmat down, and he found a modicum of humor in the large puddle he was creating on the floor. He enjoyed the moment until he realized the moment he was enjoying. Rolling his head in irritation relieved some of the anxiety he was feeling, and he shook his body once before grabbing one of the hotel’s white monogrammed towels and wrapping it around his waist. He hesitated, then laid his hand flat on the fogged mirror and dragged it across the surface, leaving a streaked but comparatively clean patch where he could see his reflection. It wasn’t much to look at.



Atemu raised his hands and pulled at the skin around his eyes, trying to stretch them into a less angled shape. But even when that was accomplished his cheekbones were too high and prominent, his nose too wide, and his skin too dark to ever be able to pass as Japanese. His life would be so much easier if he blended in with his surroundings. He didn’t have the money to fly home and didn’t have a place to stay if he were able to get to Egypt. Atemu had long since accepted the fact that the island of Japan had become his permanent residence. It saddened him to know he would never fit in or belong.



The bright light shining in his eyes encouraged Atemu to leave the bathroom, turning off the light and walking over to the side of the bed. He sat softly, releasing a deep breath and closing his eyes. A small part of him had hoped that the young man from the bar would have chosen to stay in the room, even if only for a little while. It wasn’t that he felt particularly drawn to him or anything sentimental like that; it was just that the presence of another human being who didn’t find him an instant disappointment was an experience he was longing for. Well, it had been a foolish hope, and he only had himself to blame for the pang of sadness.



He rubbed his forehead in response to the throbbing headache pushing against his skull. Forgoing changing into his pajamas, Atemu relented to the alcohol and laid on top of the comforter, pulling it around himself as he bunched the pillow under his head and tried to sleep a dreamless sleep.



----



Yuugi fumbled with the small bunch of white heather in his hands, the petite, cupped flowers with the pink veins that held the petals together nicely contrasting with the burgundy mesh that was tied around the stems. He had ignored George’s eager inquiries on the ride down to the lobby and subsequently the ride back up to Atemu’s floor as to how his date was going with that Egyptian guy. When George had finally seen the flowers Yuugi was holding his eyes had bulged; asking over and over where Yuugi had gotten flowers, let alone flowers that were that stunning and vibrant, because he had messed up with his girlfriend and she would really…



Yuugi had tuned out at this point, not in the mood to entertain George’s fantasies and he had taken the opportunity to exit on a lower floor and take another elevator. Now he was standing outside Atemu’s door, searching his pocket for the room key he had brought with him two and a half hours prior. He found it and inserted it into the door lock, entering the room without hesitation.



Seeing that the light was still on Yuugi didn’t try to be quiet, and it wasn’t until the door had already slammed itself close that he noticed Atemu asleep on the bed. He winced, a twinge of guilt passing through him, but shrugged it off as a misunderstanding and thought nothing more of it. Setting the heather on top of the TV, Yuugi went over to the chair in the corner of the room and undressed, removing his shoes, pants, and shirt, leaving his undershirt and boxers to sleep in. Picking up the bouquet of heather, Yuugi crawled gently onto the bed behind Atemu and placed the flowers in front of him. He frowned at the fact that Atemu hadn’t even bothered to sleep under the covers. His upper torso was bare, and his skin was freezing to Yuugi’s touch when he placed his hand on Atemu’s shoulder. Tsking lightly, he reached behind himself to turn off the light.



Yuugi was about to lay his head on the pillow when he felt Atemu shift, rolling his shoulder forward and stretching his leg. The pitch black of the room didn’t allow Yuugi to see if Atemu was awake, but the feeling in the air told him that he was. He waited patiently, balancing his weight on his elbow, allowing the moment to unfold as it would.



“You came back,” Atemu finally said softly, not bothering to turn in Yuugi’s direction. He inhaled to sigh but paused at the fragrance he noticed. “Heather?”



Yuugi was impressed with Atemu’s perceptiveness though he didn’t let it show in his voice. “Did you want me to?” he asked instead.



Atemu didn’t answer at first, and the stillness in the room became a bit stifling. Yuugi wasn’t surprised by Atemu’s hesitation. What did surprise him was his own curiosity about the possible answer. He had already made his decision on what he was going to do regarding Atemu, but he hadn’t considered that Atemu might have a differing opinion. Yuugi never considered that his opinion wasn’t automatically held by everyone else. It didn’t bother him much when he found out he was wrong; he was more confused than angry that other people always appeared so dead set against whatever it was he had to say. He had developed a thick skin over the years as a result of these misunderstandings.



“You’re coming with me tomorrow,” Yuugi said. “You really should have gotten under the covers,” he continued, muttering as he maneuvered the comforter more securely around Atemu’s legs and torso, leaving his arms free. When he leaned further down so he could reach towards Atemu’s hands his cheek brushed over Atemu’s still wet hair. Yuugi frowned, bringing his hand to smooth over the wet strands from the top of Atemu’s head down onto the hair on the pillow. He hadn’t even bothered to towel-dry his hair? “You should take better care of yourself,” Yuugi chided, a touch of bitterness in his voice. What was the point if Atemu was determined to catch his death?



Atemu chuckled, his voice without humor. “It doesn’t matter.”



Yuugi pursed his lips, not happy with that blasted defeated tone that kept slipping into Atemu’s voice. “Well,” he said, spooning himself against Atemu’s back and hooking his arm around his waist. Atemu didn’t react to Yuugi’s embrace. “We’ll take care of that later. Right now we sleep. Tomorrow we check out and you come with me.”



Satisfied, Yuugi was ready to go to sleep. Atemu, it appeared, was not.



“Which meaning?” Atemu asked.



“What?”



“Which meaning?” Atemu repeated. When Yuugi didn’t respond he continued, “The heather. Which meaning are they supposed to have?”



Yuugi smiled against the back of Atemu’s neck. He knew Atemu would be an interesting person, and intelligent to boot. It was going to be fun having him around.



“Protection,” Yuugi said. “I don’t know what your wishes are yet so I can’t make them come true. That only leaves protection.”



“Mmm.” Atemu couldn’t have made a more noncommittal sound.



Yuugi felt Atemu take a deep breath and let it out slowly, his body relaxing in preparation for sleep. Once he was sure Atemu had settled, he closed his eyes and let sleep come.



----



Sugoroku Motou wrestled the newspaper in his hand, shaking out the creases so he could better read the financial section. He was sitting at a worn white patio set, the metal table and two plastic chairs more comfortable to the old man than any plush recliner. The small backyard was situated directly behind the game shop he owned, with the living quarters for himself, his daughter, and occasionally his grandson on the second floor. The yard was a mismatch of green and brown grass and two saplings that had yet to find their roots and grow. A chain link fence ran along the side of the yard parallel to the building, and an old, wood fence that had been painted a dull red stood perpendicular to the shop, about four feet tall and allowing a view into the side alley that ran between the game shop and the neighboring produce store.



It was midmorning, and the clouds had yet to move inland and free the coastal city from their shadowy presence. Domino was a beach community, encompassing the whole of six square miles that was nestled against the base of an extinct volcano. The vegetation was lush and green where it had been allowed to remain in the city, in-between the concrete sidewalks and asphalt streets, permitting the residents to be reminded of nature while simultaneously enjoying their aversion to it. It was a popular destination city for foreigners who colored the streets with their eager eyes and copious ethnicities. Visitors mostly hailed from Western countries, but there was the occasional visitor from the Middle East, India, and mainland China. The locals didn’t much pay attention to these details, preferring to attract business and the money vacationers brought with them. But of course, as in any city, there were those individuals who called themselves Purists, and would be quite pleased to never have anyone other than a Japanese citizen in Japan.



An entrepaneur, Sugoroku had put himself into a position to be exposed to many nationalities and so was better able to handle the influx of visitors during tourist season than those vendors whose man contacts were local. His daughter, god bless her, was too preoccupied with herself to notice others. Oh, she was a caring person and meant well, but her choices were not, how should he say, always made with the benefit of others in mind? That sounded right. The poor child had grown up without her mother who had died as a result of complications from delivery. Sugoroku had indulged his daughter as a coping method, wanting to give her everything that he could no longer give his wife. She in turn had learned to hide her emotions in hedonistic pursuits. As a result, Yuugi was born a product of a one-night stand. Though he said the actions leading up to his birth didn’t bother him and that he didn’t care what his mother had done, Sugoroku didn’t believe him.



He sighed. The relationship between Sugoroku, his daughter, and Yuugi was tricky at the best of times. He didn’t know how the news of his new girlfriend was going to settle, especially with Yuugi returning home after a long absence.



Checking his watch, noting that it was 10:30am, Sugoroku folded his newspaper and grasped it in his hand to return inside. Yuugi was due in half an hour and the place could use a good vacuum before the young man arrived. Sugoroku rummaged the vacuum cleaner out of the hall closet and plugged it in, and was just about to turn the machine on when the front door opened.



“Just kick your shoes off here,” Yuugi said, gesturing with his hand. His black sleepover bag hung heavily on his shoulder and he was having trouble maneuvering in the small entryway that branched off into the store, the backyard, and to a flight of stairs.



“Oh, you’re early Yuugi,” Sugoroku said, leaning against the vacuum cleaner. “We weren’t expecting you to be home for another half hour or so.”



Yuugi looked up at the sound of his name and smiled a greeting to his grandfather. He still stood in the doorway, preoccupied with balancing on one foot to remove the shoe off the other with the cumbersome bulk of his bag. “Traffic was lighter than I thought it’d be. Mom home yet?”



“She’ll be home later. She had a chance to work overtime today.” Sugoroku laughed at Yuugi’s struggle with his shoes, only noticing the other man behind his grandson once Yuugi had vacated the doorway. “Oh, who’s this, then?” he asked.



Yuugi didn’t turn to look behind him, instead tossing his bag onto the stairs and running a hand through his hair. “He’ll be staying with me,” was all he offered.



Sugoroku frowned a little. “Friend of yours?”



“No,” Yuugi said nonchalantly. “Give me your bag,” he said to the other man, taking it from him and tossing it with his own. “We’ll settle in later. I’m starved.”



Realizing he wasn’t going to get any answers from his grandson, Sugoroku turned his attention to the stranger. “Who are you?” he asked, not unkindly.



The man, who looked like he had not gotten a good night’s sleep, took a deep breath before answering. “I’m Atemu,” he said evenly. “And it appears I will be staying here for a while.”



Sugoroku was suspicious, but not of Atemu. Yuugi had a penchant for bringing complete strangers home with him, and inviting them to stay without first asking permission. Though there had been many arguments about this Yuugi always won for the fear his mother and grandfather had of him walking out the door and not returning. It didn’t appear to Sugoroku that his grandson’s time away at college had changed his grandson as much as he had hoped it would.



“Yuugi, a word?” Sugoroku asked, stepping aside and motioning for Yuugi to go out back. He kept his gaze firm and Yuugi eventually relented. Once he and Yuugi were outside he voiced his concern. “Another one, Yuugi? And where did you find him?”



“At my hotel,” Yuugi said. “Well, actually, he found me. You really should buy a new patio set,” he continued, rocking the table on its unsteady legs. “At least a new table before this one collapses on itself.”



“Jesus Yuugi,” Sugoroku groaned, impervious to Yuugi’s rude attempt at distraction. “You know your mother and I don’t approve of you bringing every stranger you meet out on the streets into our home. Don’t you have any consideration for us at all?”



“Sure I do,” Yuugi said. He knelt beside one of the chairs and began to inspect its legs. “That’s why I have them sleep in my room instead of letting them crash on the couch.” He looked at his grandfather from under his bangs. “Besides, I wouldn’t bring anyone dangerous here. You and mom should think more of me than that.”



“You can’t possibly know if they’re dangerous when you’ve only just met them,” Sugoroku said, not rising to the bait. “I mean, how much do you know about him?” he said, pointing his arm toward the door. “Having just met him at your hotel,” he scoffed, crossing his arms. “There’s a resume we can trust.”



Yuugi watched his grandfather for a long moment, and then stood. “Whatever,” he said, brushing by the older man. “We’ll talk later. Right now I’m going to grab something to eat.” He left Sugoroku outside, shaking his head in frustration.



“Come on Até, let’s go,” Yuugi said, pushing his feet into a pair of slip-ons and grabbing his trusty blue jacket from the coat rack beside the door.



Atemu didn’t move. “What did you call me?”



“Até,” Yuugi repeated. “You know, Ah-tay?”



Atemu scrunched his face in disapproval. “I’d prefer you didn’t call me that.”



“That’s nice,” Yuugi said. He held the door open for Atemu to walk through, following behind him. “Feel like anything in particular, Até? I’m in the mood for Chinese myself, though I could go for pizza too.”



Atemu growled low in his throat, but followed Yuugi to his car. After all, he was hungry too.



----



Heather (White) – Protection, Wishes Will Come True