Thinking of you as left behind.
Chapter One
This story is completely different from "On Date Night". It is a chapter story, a tragic romance, and Seto/Joey share the spotlight with Yugi/Tea. Set 13 years in the future, Yugi suddenly dies and his widow (Tea) moves into the Kaiba mansion temporarily. Seto and Joey have been married for 10 years and are the best friends of Yugi/Tea. The rest of the gang and Mokuba live elsewhere. Seto will be very OOC because he out grew his teen temperament a long time ago. Everyone from the gang is now approx. 30 years old. Don't mind the title, it is merely a line from a poem by Thomas Hardy.
This is your last warning: character death, scroll down to where the italics stop to skip this scene.
Yugi was driving home from work. It will take him twice as long as usual because of the icy conditions. His mind slipped to home where the warmth of his wife's arms waits for him. He thought of her long, long dancer legs. Yugi shook his head and thought:
"Mustn't be thinking of that now, concentrate Yugi." He admonished himself. Regaining control, Yugi thought that while dangerous the winter scene is beautiful.
Ten minutes from home, a car in the opposite direction, suddenly swerved into Yugi's lane. Yugi swerved to miss hitting him and hits the breaks. He skidded on the ice and crashed into a tree. A low branch breaks the driver side window, and the glass shatters. A fragment of the glass spears Yugi head. The coroner would tell Tea that her husband died instantly. It would be her only comfort.
At the hospital, Tea was pouring her heart out onto Joey's shoulder. The firm hand of Seto Kaiba was on her quivering shoulder.
"Why, Joey, why? Why Yugi? Why did it have to be him?" Joey did not answer the unanswerable question. She pulled back and looked at her closest friends, Joey and Seto. Joey kept an arm around her shoulder and Seto held her hand. They looked as grief stricken as she felt.
"Yugi was my whole world, Joey, Seto; I've known him since we were five years old."
"I know Tea, I know." Joey cooed while Seto rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. Tea sniffed gulped and said:
"He was my everything, my husband, my children's father, my rock, the person I always turned to when I needed advice, comfort, a friend, a lover…how do I go on?"
Joey hugged her, rubbing circles into her back, as she went on:
"At least I have you guys to lean on."
Seto was always a good person to go to in a crisis, strong, with dependable advice. Joey was a loving friend. She still had love, comfort and her rock, Seto, poor substitute for her beloved husband but still wanted. Tea began to calm down.
"What do I do now?"
Joey answered her:
"Don't think about your problems now, there is tomorrow or the next day to worry about that. Right now we want you and the kids to pack a bag and stay with us. Now I not the time to stay at your home to be flooded with memories, you are too fragile right now to deal with that."
Tea looked up at her friends and saw Seto nod his agreement. She sighed and nodded her consent. She thought about what to pack as they left the hospital. She thought about her children.
"Oh, God, how do I tell them?"
Seto thinking back to when he told Mokuba about their parents dying said:
"You find the words when the time comes. Rukia is eight; she will help you with Renji and Kaien. Like she did when Mr. Muto died"
Tea smiled slightly. Seto always was formal with Grandpa even after his death. It was his way to atone for his sin of ripping up the old man's card. Grandpa died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 88. The funeral drew a lot of attention because he was a famous years ago for his card play, and for his even more famous grandson. Seto Kaiba's attendance also drew attention. Yugi's funeral will draw even more attention. Tea did not want to deal with it. Seto was already making arrangements for the guests and for Tea's car to be picked up from the hospital. Joey kept an arm around her shoulder as the chauffer droved to her home. Her mother-in-law lived in the apartment above the shop still. At the moment, she was at Tea's home, babysitting. Tea relied on her a lot because she didn't get on with her own mother.
"Oh God, how will I tell Mother?"
Joey and Seto both knew she was referring to Mrs. Muto and not Mrs. Gardner. The woman has already buried a husband, her father-in-law, and now her only child.
"I can't tell her, her only son died."
Seto said:
"I can tell her if it will help."
"I really should, it is my duty, I just can't, and I and the kids are her only family."
Tea felt so mixed up. She already felt guilty because she wasn't staying at her parents' home and now she was shirking another duty. She just didn't have the strength. Not without Yugi. Joey interrupted her depressive thoughts before the tears overwhelmed her.
"Duty? Fuck duty. Look at Seto and I, we never do what society calls duty. Everyone expected Seto to marry even after he came out publicly. Forget it, you need comfort. No one expects you to function normally when the feelings are so raw. We will help you with Mrs. Muto. She can stay with us too. We have plenty of room and plenty of things to do there; it will be a good way to distract the children while the adults talk."
Seto smiled his small smile and nodded his consent to everything Joey said. Tea felt a tremendous burden lifted off her shoulder. She burst into tears, overwhelmed by what they did and said. Joey pulled her into another hug as Seto looked frightened at the emotion he didn't understand. Seto never understood women. Joey gave his husband a confident look. Seto relaxed, he'll have Joey explain this new development. Tea calmed down and looked up with a weak smile.
"Thanks Joey, Seto, I was just so overwhelmed by…everything."
Just then the car pulled up to the Muto residence, ending the conversation.
To be continued
Quite the weeper, right?
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