Notes: For the Flufftober Alternate Prompt - Falling Asleep Together
I just wasn't vibing with the prompt for today, so I subbed in one of the alternates.
Part of the series "Joey Mutou" alongside the fics "Good Luck Charm" and "The (Not So) Secret Family Recipe"
Going Home
It was a school day when it happened. Yugi's parents had closed the shop for lunch and to run a few errands. It was time for their weekly run to the bank to deposit their cash earnings from the Game Shop.
They always walked there because it was only two blocks away from the shop. And someone had noticed how predictable they were. That they always had plenty of cash on them when they took that weekly walk.
Someone with a gun who didn't mind shooting a married couple with a young son, just to get the shop's weekly cash earnings.
Yugi was watching the clock, waiting impatiently for the day to end so he could go home to his parent's shop, when the school counselor came in and had Yugi gather his things to leave early. And that was when the sinking feeling set in.
Because his parents wouldn't pull him out of class with only thirty-seven minutes left in his school day.
The counselor tells Yugi his parents are dead. Have been since lunch time and that's when Yugi threw up in the waste basket, tears streaming down his face. He should have known and he didn't. How awful was that?
Children's services has him pack a suitcase for an orphanage and Yugi does that, but he keeps arguing that there's a mistake. His grandfather is his guardian if something happens to his parents. He shouldn't be going to an orphanage unless his grandfather refused custody. And Gramps would never do that.
They ignore his protests, though, and Yugi finds himself, hours later, being dropped off at an understaffed and over populated orphanage staring at a room full of boys and what Yugi's quick counting skills tell him aren't enough bunk beds.
"We'll have an inflatable mattress up for you in no time, Yuji," assured a social worker with a smile so brittle that Yugi was afraid to tell her she'd mispronounced his name.
Of course, none of the inflatable mattresses hold air. Yugi can hear the first one whistling so loudly that it almost drowns out the snickers of the other boys in the room. The next one she tries has visible knife marks on it and the woman scolds the room, like it'll make a difference. The third one is no better. It seems to hold air well enough blowing up, but it starts visibly sinking as soon as Yugi sits on it.
"He can share my bed," a blond boy finally called from off to the side. "He's tiny enough, I'll probably think he's a stuffed animal in my sleep anyway," the kid joked.
Yugi flushed and grabbed tightly onto the handle of his suitcase.
"John," the woman started to say, but the kid said quickly, "it's Joey. Short for Joseph. Honestly, can't you get any of our names right? I bet you got his wrong too, he's just in too much shock to correct you. Hey, new kid. What's your name?"
"U-uh. I-I'm Yugi. Yugi M-Mutou," Yugi stammered.
"Joey Wheeler. Sass master extraordinaire. If you stick with me, the other kids'll leave you alone." He hopped off his bottom bunk and slung an arm around Yugi's shoulders, steering him - and his luggage - over to a bed in the far corner. "Stick your case under the bed. Does it have anything in there you can't bear to lose?"
Yugi nodded.
"Okay, does it have a lock on it?"
Yugi shook his head.
"Well, I've got the one Seto left me. But I don't care enough about most of my stuff to worry about losing it, so we'll put the lock on your case instead. Keep the key on you somewhere safe and not easy to pickpocket. Some of the guys here are kleptos. Some just 'cause they're nervous and can't help themselves. But some because they like to be mean about it." Joey pulled out a lock from somewhere and stuck it on the suitcase for Yugi, securing it within moments and then pressing a set of two keys into Yugi's hands. Yugi slid it into his right pocket for now, figuring he'd put them somewhere safer later, and kicked off his shoes, set his school jacket on top of them by the bed, and stood there a bit numbly while Joey slid his suitcase under the bed for safety.
Then he was maneuvered into the bed by Joey, who rather curtly told their social worker she could go now, and then found himself safely secured in the small space between Joey and the wall.
"You lost your family today?" Joey asked quietly.
"M-my parents. Mugger shot them," Yugi said quietly.
"I'm sorry. My drunk dad died not quite a year ago. His own fault, wrapped his car around a tree and didn't walk away. My mom doesn't want me, so here I am." Joey huffed softly. "I'd say it gets easier, but it really doesn't. And this place is worse in the daylight. But I totally knocked out the last guy who tried to mess with me using my lucky yo-yo, so the other kids mostly leave me be. If you're with me for now, then they'll leave you alone too. Which... transition's worse when there's bullying on top of the grief, ya know?"
"Th-thanks. My Grandfather... he's supposed to get custody of me. So he'll... he'll be coming for me soon."
Joey's quiet for a long moment and then he patted Yugi's arm lightly. "I hope you're right, Yugi."
Joey is an early riser, which is lucky for Yugi. Since apparently it's 'you snooze, you lose' when it comes to breakfast.
They grab some bland oatmeal and Yugi chokes down every bite. There's no school that day even though it's Tuesday and Joey explained that they were supposed to attend the local public school, but then someone might notice there are too many kids at the facility. "Director is taking kickbacks. Seto was blackmailing the guy to get better food for himself and his brother and me, but Seto and Mokie got adopted and suddenly the hiding place full of blackmail material was empty. Seto left it for me, but someone else must have found it after he left."
"He was blackmailing an adult?" Yugi asked incredulously.
Joey just nodded and laughed. "Seto was really something special. And a bigger smart ass than I am. Real good at strategy, didn't talk down to me for have dysleka or whatever."
"Dyslexia?" Yugi asked.
"And the calculus one too," Joey agreed, probably meaning dyscalculia. "At least, Seto was certain I have those things and he's the smartest guy I know. So." Joey shrugged.
"So we're not getting any school time at all?" Yugi asked, getting back to his original question. He could find out more about this Seto and Mokie later.
"Well, we're supposed to be getting home schooled. But lady in charge of that - not Miss Stevens from yesterday, but Mrs. Collins and you'll meet her eventually - is 'sick' a lot. By which I mean she is hungover a lot. When she isn't, she'll teach classes. But then she feels guilty because our grades are all over the place and she knows she's helping screw our education... and the next thing you know she's out another week because the guilt drove her to drink again. Never mind that her guilt is making our situation worse."
"That's awful," Yugi said. "When my Grandpa comes to get me, I'm going to have him do something about this place." His grandfather was a well known archaeologist and he knew people in the government. So surely he could speak up about this place and it'd be fixed.
"I hope so. Just... Yugi... a lot of kids come here thinking there's family who'll show up to bring them back home. And maybe they do and they're being railroaded. What do I know? But most kids get dropped here don't have anyone come looking for them. Hell, my ma showed up to make it clear she didn't want me, so I should stop wasting quarters on the payphone down the road to call her. I really hope you've got better luck than me, but broadcasting you've got family that cares is a quick way to get some of those guys," and Joey nodded towards some much bigger looking boys with mean eyes, "to playing punching bag. And you can guess what part they give to guys like us."
"The part of the bag to be punched," Yugi guessed and sniffled.
"Unfortunately. My yo-yo," and Joey flashed Yugi a quick view of a very heavy looking yo-yo with spikes on it, "makes a decent weapon to make them back off. But I've only got the one right now."
"Right. I'll... I'll stay quiet about Gramps."
Joey looked relieved.
Joey made sure Yugi got lunch and dinner, just like with breakfast. More of the same with there being not enough for everyone so latecomers didn't eat. One kid started crying at dinner because he hadn't eaten all day and Yugi gave his mostly untouched food to that kid, keeping just the toast so he wouldn't wake up hungry in the middle of the night.
"How did it get this bad?" Yugi wanted to know. "Doesn't anyone inspect this place? Report back?"
"Well, they do. But they get bribed. So it's glowing reports all the way." Joey shrugged. "There's a food pantry that gives out free food to kids on certain holidays, which is a better meal than we'd get here. So if you're here long enough then I'll show you where it is."
"The kids who get adopted from this place never say anything to their new parents, though?" Yugi asked.
"Well, I mean, those new parents had to come here to adopt the kids. They might not see this place at its worst. But they still see it." Joey shrugged. "This place teaches kids to keep their heads down and if someone deigns to adopt us out of this hell hole? Be grateful and keep your trap shut. No one looks back. Not even Seto or Mokuba."
"Your friends who were adopted, right?" Yugi asked, uncertainly.
Joey nodded. "Gozaburo Kaiba came here as a publicity stunt. Helping the poor orphans, without actually helping us of course. But Seto challenged him to a chess match. Really burned the guy's ego too. 'Cause he gave in played Seto and Seto won. He beat the world champion at chess. So Gozaburo adopted Seto and Mokuba because that was the penalty Seto set for if Gozaburo lost." Joey looked troubled. "I didn't like the guy. Rich jerk with the heart of a jackass. But Seto saw it as his best ticket out of here. Only I haven't heard from him or Mokie since they left and... either they forgot about me quickly, or they aren't getting my letters and they're not allowed to write me either." Joey sighed and shrugged. "My writing is barely legible on a good day. Who knows, maybe my letters got lost in the mail and they think I forgot them too. I gave up last month."
Yugi felt determination steel his spine, making him feel several inches taller as he promised himself... he would get Joey out of this place when he left. Somehow. Surely his grandpa would help.
That night, once again safely between Joey and wall after checking that his suit case was undisturbed, Yugi cried himself to sleep again.
He did that every night in that awful place. Until, one morning just after breakfast, Solomon Mutou arrived at the orphanage.
Now, Solomon Mutou was, generally, a soft spoken elderly gentleman. Spry for his age, due to plenty of exercise on dig sites.
Yugi had never before in his life heard his grandfather shout at anyone. Until today.
"Grandpa!" Yugi cried, racing into his grandfather's arms.
"Oh, Yugi! Yugi, I've been looking everywhere for you. Raising such a fuss," Solomon told him. "It seems that someone deliberately misplaced your parents wills in an attempt to... well, never you mind that my dear boy. Get your things. We're leaving this place and going home."
"I-I can't leave. Not without Joey," Yugi stammered out, as resolutely as possible.
"Joey?" Grandpa asked curiously. "Who is Joey?"
"Hi?" Joey was a little out of breath. "Geez, Yug', you run way too fast. And, you, uh... you must be Yugi's Grandpa. He's been so sure you'd show up to bring him home." Joey smiled at Yugi with an expression almost as sad as it was happy. "I'm glad he came, Yugi. Don't forget about me when you leave, okay?"
"I'm not leaving without you," Yugi insisted.
Joey's eyes went wide with surprise. "It's, uh... it's really. It's okay. You don't have to... I'll be fine here, okay Yug? You look after yourself first this time."
Yugi just turned to his Grandpa. "His name is Joey - Joseph - Wheeler. And his mom refused to take him after his dad died. He's the nicest kid here and we can't just leave him behind. This place is awful. Do you know they don't even send us to school? The lady who's supposed to home school us has been out 'sick' all week and it's a regular occurrence. Whatever regulations that are supposed to be for places like this are all being broken. We have to do something for all the kids here, but Joey... Joey's gotta come with us. Please?"
Grandpa looked between Yugi and Joey a few times and then nodded to a well dressed man in a suit that Yugi had only just noticed. Turning back to Joey, Gramps said, "go pack your things now, Joey. You'll be coming with us, alright? We've got plenty of space in our home to make our family a little bigger by one."
"I-I... you don't have to..." Joey stammered.
"Any kid Yugi cares about this much is family already. Now, I think I have some paperwork to sign so that young Mr. Wheeler can come with us to our knew home." The steely look in Gramps' eyes had Yugi want to start cheering.
Before taking them home, Gramps walked Joey through every bit of paperwork that he'd signed that said he was Joey's guardian now. Yugi watched with excitement and no little bit of impatience, but he knew it was important for Joey to really believe he was going to leave this place for got.
They got into Grandpa's car and he drove them home. "That place will either be shut down or under new management soon. And I'll be personally visiting once a month like an off-season Santa Claus, making sure those kids are finally going to school and being well cared for," he promised Yugi when Yugi asked about what would happen to all the other kids there.
And when Grandpa made a promise, he kept it.
"I've officially retired from archaeology," Grandpa continued. "My back's not what it used to be and you kids need me around now. I thought, if it was alright with you, I'd take over running the Game Shop. Until you're old enough to decide what you want to do with it."
"Wh-what I want to..."
"The whole building it yours now, Yugi. The Game Shop is good income to keep paying off all the property taxes and utilities and the like. So if you're okay with it, I'll run the place for now."
Yugi nodded slowly. He hated the idea of the little shop closing. He loved it so much. "I'd like that, Grandpa." It was full of memories and it'd be so hard to see the place without his mom and dad there smiling at him from behind the counter or restocking some section of the store, but... he couldn't help but feel that letting this be the end of the Game Shop would dishonor their memories.
"I could, uh... I could do odd jobs for you," Joey offered, uncertainly. "So I'm not just some freeloader."
"You aren't a freeloader, Joey. You're my grandson now too," Grandpa told him. "Call me Gramps. We'll discuss things like chores and allowance later, but I never want you to feel like you have to work in order to be fed or kept clothed or housed. You're family now."
And, just maybe, Joey was starting to believe that as he gripped Yugi's arm a little harder. "Oh god," Joey muttered. "This is real, isn't it?"
Yugi nodded. And then pinched Joey's side.
Wow could that boy yelp loudly.
That night, even though Joey now had what used to be the guest room for his own bedroom, he slipped into Yugi's room.
"I, uh... can't sleep. It's too quiet. Can you sleep? I woke you up, didn't I? I'll just..."
Yugi sat up in bed and motioned Joey over. "I can't sleep either. Come on. Let's tell stories until we fall asleep?"
Joey meandered closer. "I put my yo-yo in one of the dresser drawers but it feels weird without it under my pillow. And I hated the sound of all the other boys snoring and talking in their sleep at night, but now it's so quiet I can't focus without the sound."
"Well, tonight we'll be noisy enough for a whole room full of boys. That way we can sleep just fine," Yugi promised. "Do you like ghost stories?"
Joey's eyes bugged out. "No. I mean. Sure. Who doesn't. Just, uh... maybe we could start with something else."
Yugi nodded and, finally, got Joey to slide into the bed with him. Joey on the outside and Yugi snug between his new brother and the wall.
Safe and sound and home where they belonged.
They chatted quietly until Joey's yawns turned into soft snores and Yugi drifted off without crying for the first time since his parents died.
Notes: Seto did call the place a hell hole, so I think I made the orphanage fit that description quite well. But the usually mild mannered Solomon Mutou can be scary when he needs to be and when he rushed back to take custody of Yugi only to discover his grandson had been 'misplaced'... oh the people running that hell hole discovered they'd have hell to pay now too.