Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! © Kazuki Takahashi
Author's Note: Written for Challenge #13, "Lessons" at the community ygodrabble on LiveJournal.
Compromise
It was an unspoken agreement between them to never to talk about what happened in the past: the penalty games, the dead bodies, Yuugi's warped memories. It was simply easier that they didn't, as it was hard enough for Yuugi to think about the fact that he had another self to begin with. The less he thought about said things, the easier it was all to accept.
Still, there were little things that were big reminders.
"When did I get these shoes?" Yuugi asked absently, pulling out a brand-new pair of black steel-toed leather boots from his closet. He knew the answer to his question a second later, and he winced as he glanced over his shoulder to his other self. Currently, he was sitting (more or less) on his bed, legs crossed, in a sleeveless black shirt, sleek trousers... and the boots in Yuugi's hand. He was grimacing, but the look disappeared when Yuugi turned to face him.
Yuugi glanced back at his closet, seeing another item that he didn't recall purchasing — a tight-fitting, buckled leather shirt that he often wore under his school shirt. For months, he had never questioned its appearance or wondered why he had it on under his clothes. Something in the back of his mind had always told him not to worry about such things: not the clothes, not the bodies, not the blackouts...
He forced a bitter smile, crossing the room to flop on the bed next to his other self. He turned the shoes over in his hands before glancing down at their apparition on his other self's feet. "They're nice," he commented.
His other self nodded slowly, but didn't meet his gaze. "It's why I picked them," he murmured and Yuugi smiled.
"Were they expensive?" he asked, playing with a buckle. He sensed his other self glance at him, but when he lifted his head, he appeared to be staring intently at the puzzle on his desk.
"They were," he muttered after a moment, and Yuugi's cheek twitched. Considering how much he spent on games and the arcade, Yuugi didn't think he could have afforded these shoes. Or that shirt. Or the number of wrist cuffs he had found in his sock drawer. Or the jewelry. Or the eyeliner.
There were some things he just didn't want to think about: eyeliner; shoplifting (even if it wasn't really him); that he was a killer...
Yup, Yuugi reminded himself, before that thought threatened to become horrifying. Better not to think about those things.
"Well, I suppose next time, we can get things like this the right way," he murmured, and this time, his other self did look at him. Yuugi met his confused gaze with a smile as he lifted the shoes. "They are nice, though. Thank you."
An odd expression crossed his other self's face, before a smile crept across his lips and his eyes narrowed as he nodded. Yuugi chuckled and lifted his legs to slide a boot on, the shoe fitting perfectly. When his trouser leg rolled down, they didn't look too bad either.
"There's trousers, too," his other self murmured and Yuugi looked up, before his eyes were drawn to the tight — and shiny — trousers his other self was wearing. They looked expensive.
A weak smile tugged at Yuugi's lips and he forced back a giggle. "Well, next time, then," he murmured, and his other self smiled, before his eyes slipped closed and he nodded again.
"Yes," he whispered, and Yuugi smiled again.
Next time.