Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal
Title: All Worthwhile
Characters: Kaito, Haruto
Word Count: 452||Status: One-shot
Genre: Drama, Family||Rated: PG
Challenge: Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal Flash Bingo, prompt #184, rigorous
Summary: [one-shot, Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal Flash Bingo, #184, rigorous, Kaito & Haruto] Kaito pushes himself so much. And it's all for Haruto.
Kaito calculated it once. He could survive nicely with four hours of sleep per night. He had to work to get to that state, of course, but since that gave him twenty hours in which to do everything else he needed to do, it was more than worth it.
He spent twelve hours a day in his duel training. Chris's lessons still rang true and strong in the back of his mind, though he forced himself not to think of his old teacher. He wasn't doing this for Chris. He was doing this for Haruto.
He did everything for Haruto.
He spent four hours a day traveling the city in search of those duelists who held Numbers cards. He'd once spent fourteen hours a day training, but once the Numbers entered the world, he'd rearranged his schedule a little, and he would rather take time away from his training than from the last thing he did with his time.
He spent four hours a day with Haruto. That was when he ate, what little he could manage to put in his mouth. It didn't feel right to eat when Haruto's own appetite was as sluggish and weak as it was. The only reason he did it at all was because he knew if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to duel. No dueling, no Numbers. No Numbers, then Haruto's life would be at risk.
Kaito would never put Haruto's life at risk.
Sometimes he did other things, but not very often. He usually classified these things as duel training of some kind, or searching for Numbers duelists. Those were the times he would briefly cross paths with Dr. Faker – not his father, never his father, never ever again – or with Gauche and Droite.
Sometimes he shifted it around a little, spending more time training or wandering for the Numbers. He never took time away from spending hours with Haruto, though. He'd even add to them once in a while, whenever he could.
There were times when he skimped on his sleep just to spend a little more time with Haruto or to hunt down an especially elusive Numbers wielder. There were times when he wanted to sleep and refused, because he needed to spend time with Haruto or needed to train or duel. Other people might've made exceptions, gone softer on themselves, convinced themselves of anything in order to rest.
Kaito didn't do excuses. Not for anyone else and especially not for himself. He would push himself to the brink of death for Haruto, if not beyond. So long as he knew Haruto would be all right, he didn't care about dying.
Haruto made what he did to himself all worth while.
The End