A/N: Oh my…I'm feeling kind of emotional about this…I mean, it's been a full year since I started writing "Beside You" and then I wrote this and I've had this great privilege of posting them both and getting such amazing supportive reviews…wow, it just majorly blows my mind that so many people from around the world can come and read and enjoy the same story just because of a TV show they watched as kids! You're all incredible, and I thank every single one of my reviewers and readers, you have made writing this canon/alternate universe amazing! ;D
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh was not my original idea; all I own is the AU parts of the plot and that extremely sappy author's note!
Inspector Len-san sat down on the bed covered with its purple sheets, and the relatively young girl it belonged to sat beside him, smiling sweetly.
She didn't seem in the least bit nervous, which was always a good sign.
Her parents were in the living room, a safe distance from the Inspector and the child, so she could safely tell him of any issues concerning her foster parents who were looking to adopt her.
Her blond hair curled in large playful ringlets to her shoulders; she had already told him that her 'tou-san cut them for her. Her large blue eyes fairly glowed against her ivory skin, and her smile was nothing but sweet.
She talked in a strangely childish way for an eleven year old, but the Inspector wondered if that was simply because she had grown up in an American orphanage before being brought into the Japanese system and taken in by her current parents.
"Your name is Estelle-chan, right?" He asked politely, and she nodded, still smiling as her curls bounced along with her. It was a strange name, but he blamed it on being American, once again.
"'Tou-san said you would be coming to talk to me today about my life. You're Len-san," she said redundantly, as the name was clearly printed on his name tag.
"That's right," He replied patiently. At least she was getting a decent education if she could so easily read the kanji.
Yet another good sign.
"So tell me, how do you like your life here Estelle-chan?" Her face fairly glowed with happiness at the question.
"I couldn't wait all day to tell you how it's great! I want to live here forever and ever. All the kids in my class treat me nice now because I'm not just a foster kid anymore," she said in a rush.
"Technically, you are still a foster kid," he pointed out gently, wincing internally, as she shook her head quickly.
Were her 'parents' the type that had told her she would be adopted no matter what? If things fell through, that was always so hard on the child.
"I'm not just a foster kid though I'm daddy's foster kid," she explained reverently, as though it should be obvious, and he drew a blank for a moment on the American word she had used.
He was pretty sure it was an affectionate term for otou-san, like the way she had been saying 'tou-san earlier. What was the point of even using it when she lived in Japan?
"So people respect, um, daddy?" He said, trying to keep up with her terminology.
She giggled childishly, before jumping up to practically float over to her shelf. He had noticed earlier how graceful she was, clearly comfortable in her body unlike other girls her age who were stuck between being a kid and a young woman.
She produced a golden medallion on the end of an elegant ribbon, cradling it in her arms, as she carried it over.
"Daddy is the best dancer in the whole world, everyone thinks so. He taught me how to get this," she said with pride, as he examined her well cherished trophy that was inscribed with her name and her first place ranking.
He vaguely recognized it from the news a couple weeks ago where everyone had been raving about someone so young winning in such a high division. No wonder her beaming smile had looked familiar.
"So...no one makes fun of you for having two, um, daddies?" He asked, trying to be sensitive in case she burst into tears, but she just looked shocked at the concept.
"I don't have two daddies," she admonished, obviously offended by his misuse of the term.
"Everyone respects daddy because he's such a good dancer and no one could ever be mean to 'tou-san because he's so nice. If you were, I heard someone say that daddy would kill them. When I asked him, 'tou-san said of course he wouldn't, but daddy didn't say anything, and I think he would. I would be so angry if someone was mean to my 'tou-san!" She announced fiercely, and he couldn't help smiling at how sweet her protectiveness was.
It was refreshing to see someone so unaffected by having gay parents, obviously able to love them both equally.
He was starting to understand her system of differentiating between her parents now. She referred to the milder one, who reminded him of Estelle-chan with his oddly white hair, pale skin, and innocent demeanour as 'tou-san.
When she seemed to be talking about the other, clearly more aggressive, male with dark tattoos under his eyes and ragged blond hair, she used the term 'daddy'. It was strange but it made some sense.
"Do you ever worry about daddy hurting you?" He asked and was prepared for her outrage this time –except it didn't come. The kid just kept throwing curve balls at him!
This time she grew quiet, face closed and sombre, as she stared at him with big blue eyes.
"We don't joke about getting hurt in this house," she said in her serious, childish voice, and from her tone, he could tell she was repeating something she had heard said many, many times.
She'd been living with them for three years now and obviously had a good feel for her family and the structure in the household which she fit in perfectly.
The positive signs were piling up.
"I wasn't joking," he said with confusion, and she just shook her head.
"That man hurt daddy a lot before, so daddy would never hurt anyone else unless they did something bad to me or 'tou-san," she told him firmly.
He was taken aback by the sudden depth to her character and decided it was time to back off. Obviously she wasn't afraid of 'daddy' at least.
"You don't miss having an oka-san?" He asked instead, and she relaxed, lapsing back into her sweet childish nature with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"I've only had a 'ka-san for short amounts of time, and none of them were as good as daddy or 'tou-san. I asked once, and daddy said 'tou-san was like a 'ka-san but that upset 'tou-san so daddy had to apologize," she giggled suddenly, as though remembering something funny.
"Daddy hates apologizing. 'Tou-san says he's very bad at it, but he hates when 'tou-san is upset even more so he did it anyways."
That was another one down for the count. From the way she kept straying back to 'tou-san and daddy or memories with them it was clear there was no room for a 'ka-san.
"Oba-san is like a 'ka-san sometimes," she added as an afterthought, and he was surprised. So far she hadn't mentioned anyone else outside her parents.
"Do you like oba-san?" He asked, and she smiled again, nodding.
"She and oji-san are daddy's onii-san and onee-san. Oba-san is very serious like daddy, but she smiles for me," she said, obviously proud of this accomplishment.
"What about oji-san?" He asked, and she grinned this time, looking mischievous.
"Oji-san is the only one who teases daddy a lot. He can be serious too, but he's really nice," she chirped cheerfully once again.
So far all good reviews for the family.
"What about an obaa-san or ojii-san?" He asked about the final components of their little family, and she looked at him sadly this time.
"Obaa-san died before I was born along with Amane-chan who would have been my other oba-san. Daddy didn't know his 'ka-san though," she told him mournfully, and he bowed slightly to what was clearly a tragedy to one of the men in this household.
"And ojii-san?" He prompted gently after a moment and only received a blank look. "Didn't 'tou-san or daddy tell you about their otou-san?" He asked, once again confused, and she just shrugged slightly.
"Daddy said my ojii-san were both mean men. His otou-san is dead and 'tou-san's otou-san doesn't like us," she explained, expression still blank like it meant nothing to her.
She probably had never met them if they were 'mean men' especially because he would bet his last dollar 'doesn't like us' was code for homophobic. It made him sad because he found himself liking this strange family himself.
"But you seem to like your 'tou-san and daddy a lot," he encouraged and this time she positively beamed like the sun had set on her face.
"Very much," she agreed, and he smiled back at the addictive expression on her face.
"How exactly do you feel about them?" Len-san asked, and she paused, obviously thinking carefully.
"I think I love them," she finally deduced, and he was surprised, per usual, at her word choice. He was about to ask but she continued off her own accord.
"I never really loved anybody before cause I never stayed long enough I guess. But I think I love 'tou-san and daddy a lot because even when I go to school or they have to go out for awhile, I always know they'll come back and they're always happy to see me even when I do something badly."
Her innocent outlook on the concept of love was just as refreshing as the rest of her attitude. This Estelle-chan was truly something else.
"How do they treat you?" He asked, and she smiled softly, hugging her arms to herself.
"They both love me perfect in their own way," she responded faithfully.
"Tou-san is sweet, and tells the best stories, he likes all my friends, and he makes really good food. People don't think daddy is as nice because he doesn't say such nice things all the time, but I know that he loves me just as perfect because he gives the best advice, and when he gives me a hug it's the warmest softest hug in the world. 'Tou-san told me it's because it's his way of saying 'I love you' and since daddy loves 'tou-san so much I know it's true."
It was unmanly to say 'aww' right? Well, if it wasn't, he definitely would be. This girl knew both her gay parents better than most kids knew their oka-san or otou-san.
Standing up he tucked his pen back into his clipboard and smiled at her, as she leapt to her feet easily like a ballerina which, evidently, she was.
"You want to know something?" She asked suddenly, and, when he nodded, she beckoned him down.
Leaning down curiously, she whispered in his ear seriously, "I think 'tou-san and daddy love each other more than any of my other foster parents ever loved each other."
He laughed and agreed with her then asked her to wait in the room while he talked quickly with 'tou-san and daddy.
The white haired man leapt from the sofa, looking excited, nervous, and curious all at once. Len-san almost laughed at how he resembled Estelle-chan, despite not being biologically related, or physically similar.
The other man, the more intimidating blond one, seemed to agree, as he sighed, but smiled slightly, standing up behind his partner, holding out a hand nonchalantly for his albino looking partner to grasp tightly.
Len-san found it interesting how Estelle-chan seemed to have pegged their relationship so well, as the blond looked aloof yet clearly showed that he cared for the smaller man by allowing him to hold his hand in what looked like a painful death grip.
The more effeminate one was looking at Len-san anxiously now.
"So...you're 'daddy' and you're 'tou-san'?" He confirmed, pointing first at the blond and then at the white haired man. Immediately the second relaxed from his nerves, laughing softly.
"Yes, that's what she calls us," he said with a smile. 'Daddy' was smiling a little too, though he said nothing.
"Was there a reason you were so nervous?" Len-san asked, more out of curiosity than necessity, because he couldn't see reason in taking the little girl's clearly adored parents from her.
"Wouldn't you be nervous if there was even a chance your daughter could be taken from you?" He asked plainly, and Len-san had to give him that one.
He didn't have a daughter of his own, but he could see how enchanting Estelle-chan was even in a brief meeting. She was just so...passionate.
"And you weren't nervous?" He asked instead of voicing this aloud, turning a little to look at the cool, foreign looking man with his darker skin and strange tattoos.
"Ella-chan is my daughter; I know that, she knows that, what's there to worry about?" He asked in stark contrast to his partner with his clipped words. Still, his nickname for Estelle, Ella-chan, hinted at a softer side under his exterior.
Not that Len-san had the time or the desire to find that man inside of him.
"Well, you both should be proud. She is a wonderful girl. I will sign the forms to have her moved for an adoption hearing as soon as possible," he said politely with a bow.
"Thank you," 'Tou-san' said with a grateful smile, bowing back.
'Daddy' nodded a little but the look on his face simply said 'you think I didn't already know that'?
Ryou watched Len-san go, and then turned anxiously to Marik, gripping both his hands in his own now. As soon as he opened his mouth though, Marik had a finger to his lips, cutting him off with a gentle 'shh-ing' noise.
"It's his job to criticize families. If anything had gone wrong, he wouldn't have said he'd sign the forms. If my past came up, she obviously didn't say anything that alarmed him," he said in a dryly soothing way, but it made Ryou relax.
From day one they hadn't hid anything from Estelle, not giving her details, but when she asked questions after seeing things like daddy's scars they told her a very toned down version of the real story.
Things weren't always easy, she was a very curious girl, and she knew when she wasn't getting the whole story, but that was one of those 'when you're older' things.
Other situations, like when her teacher tried to give the class the sex-talk, were awkward too, though she never seemed to notice, or, if she did, it didn't bother her.
When her teacher was trying to explain how 'it' worked, she raised her hand to ask politely how two boys did 'it'. Her teacher was extremely flustered and told her that was an inappropriate question, which of course merely confused her more, not understanding how that could be inappropriate.
That left it to Ryou to explain and when he also got embarrassed by her questions it dropped to Marik, who explained bluntly with zero embarrassment on the subject. She was sated both with his explanation of 'it' and why it was 'inappropriate' to talk about that sort of thing.
Ryou could never understand how Marik did that, but he was always incredibly grateful to have his partner there to rely on in such situations.
"Rishid and Ishizu are coming over for supper, do you want to get started on that or do you want to go talk to Ella?" Marik murmured, pulling his partner closer to lean his forehead on his.
"Do you mind if I go see her?" Ryou asked weakly, and Marik rolled his eyes.
"Ryou, I wouldn't have offered if I minded," he admonished.
Ryou laughed sheepishly, and then made up for it by leaning forward to kiss his partner who, as always, responded eagerly.
Yup, he still wasn't sick of those lips.
A/N: So, I hope that wasn't too cheesy…now, just a couple more notes before *sniff* I say goodbye for good…
*oba-san = aunt / oji-san = uncle / obaa-san = grandma / ojii-san = grandpa / 'tou-san = otou-san = father / oka-san = 'ka-san = mother. Hope that wasn't too confusing :)
*For those of you who wanted revolutionshipping mentioned...I thought about it, I really did, but the story felt complete to me, and because I mentioned Anzu and Yami minimally in this story, I didn't want to confuse people who haven't read "Beside You" by throwing them in at the end. But, for those of you wondering, keep reading, and you may have the opportunity to find out what happened with their lives!
*I realize that in all of Marik's past it was not mentioned how he ended up getting the sennen rod, or how Ishizu got the necklace. I considered writing out that part of his past, but, again, they weren't really mentioned in this story, and it seemed really 'side story'-ish and random to throw it in.
*Sadly, I think I'm going to need to take a break from fanfiction once my other story 'Perfect' (thiefshipping/deathshipping) is complete. I need to focus on school and my own original writing (maybe one day you can read one of my published books! ;D) HOWEVER, I am seriously considering writing a one-shot (10, 000+ words) just to say my final farewell to this canon/AU mash-up universe. So, if you're interested, read below and let me know if you'd like to see one of them!
1) "Everything/Beside You" Future one-shot: A scene depicting Marik, Ryou, Yami, and Anzu's (and possibly the other canon character's from "Beside You) lives five years after this epilogue.
2) "Everything(/Beside You?)" Future one-shot: A story explaining how one or more members of the family force Ryou's father to confront his son, son-in-law, and granddaughter. Whether his father decides to have a part in his estranged son's life again or not...that's up to you guys! **This one could conceivably be linked to the first idea, as well, if you wanted.
3) "Everything" Past one-shot: A one-shot explaining how Marik and Ishizu became the owners of the millennium items, and their struggle to control the dark powers within them.
And with that…this story is at its end. You're all amazing, and I can't wait to hear your feedback one last time! ;D