My Gift
Ryoko Avalon
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
His head hurt badly when he was nudged awake late into the morning by the young girl next to him screaming something about a monster. She was sobbing uncontrollably as Otogi sat up and wrapped his arms protectively around her.
"It's okay little one. It's okay. You're safe. It's okay. It was just a dream. It's alright, you're safe." He continued to repeat, letting her recompose herself in his warm embrace. He was still only a third aware of anything that was going on around him, but somehow his fatherly instinct, or so he believed, had kicked in and moved him unconsciously.
Alu fell quiet just as he halfway awakened.
"Alu? You alright?" he whispered, pushing her gently from his bare chest and looking worriedly into her deep sapphire eyes. She nodded, to his relief, only to sigh shakily and allow him to ease her back to the mattress. He lay beside her, a single arm draped over her waist, gently nuzzling her nose with his own. She giggled at the act. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, seeing her so relaxed and calm, so quickly after what had happened.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up, Daddy."
"It's alright. I guess you deserve some attention just as much as my sleep does." He smiled, looking over her shoulder at the digital alarm clock. It was only seven-thirty in the morning. He usually wouldn't wake up until four or five at night on weekends, but now that he had this responsibility, he could kiss those many hours of rest goodbye.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Alright...my plan for today...get you some clothes that look decent and fit you, meet Ryou at the park around noon, then get some dinner and maybe see a movie. Sound good?" Otogi announced, tugging on a black sweatshirt and layering it over his dark blue, baggy jeans. He dressed Alu in a similar fashion: White t-shirt, overlapped by a large white sweatshirt, more than ten-times too big for her, that drooped over an old pair of shorts that Ryuiji hadn't worn in years, yet they still fit the child like pants, which were tied off with a shoelace and tucked neatly into her pocket.
The girl smiled, following a "Yup", as the boy finished up combing his hair back to perfection. He looked down at Alu.
"One more thing...after we get breakfast...you need a haircut. And I know just the person to do it." Otogi snickered, noticing how disheveled her mop of sandy hair was. Alu looked at him in question, watching him grab a larger brush, one he never used from the day he got it, and began to somewhat brush out all of the knots and tangles he could, doing his best to make his new daughter look civilized.
"Now let's get some food. I'm starved!" he offered, scooping the girl into his arms and trotting out the front door, locking it behind him, and presenting his new self and his daughter to the world.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Otogi!" Ryou bounced down the sidewalk toward the taller boy, glomping him to the ground.
"DAH! Ryou! Down boy! Down boy!" He laughed, flushing red with embarrassment at the younger boy's position on top of him...and in front of his daughter, even! Ryou only ignored his request at first, finishing nearly strangling Otogi to the point of suffocation before letting go and climbing off of him. Ryuiji was still a slight shade of red when he stood up and dusted himself off from the sand and salt on the sidewalk. Alu grabbed his hand, hoping he wasn't going to get angry.
"Are you alright Daddy?" she asked innocently.
Ryou's jaw, if possible, could've dropped strait to the ground at the word 'Daddy'.
"RYUIJI!" He groaned, wanting to know everything he didn't. He usually did this whenever he was confused anyhow, so the action was nothing new.
"It's okay, Ryou. This is my daughter, Alu. I adopted her last night."
"But Otogi...you said you thought you could never handle being a father...? So why...?"
"I guess I was wrong. I love this little girl just as much as I love you. And I refuse to let anything happen to her. I'll protect her just the same as you and Jounouchi. I promise. You'll see."
Ryou seemed a little taken aback by the load of thoughts just shoved into his head, but he just couldn't show it. Ryuiji and him weren't a couple anymore, and he knew that this kind of thing would rear it's ugly head sooner or later. Now, he felt more alone than before, seeing that his closest friend had now taken on a responsibility in which the older boy would have no more time for him anymore. But he was glad to see that Otogi was moving on with his life. At least one of them would be happy.
"Alu, this is Ryou. He's the sweet guy I told you about. And Ryou, you've already met my daughter, Alu." The black haired teenager nodded toward both of them.
Ryou couldn't help but fall instantly in love with the girl's innocence. Although he felt a certain feeling of rivalry between both himself and the child, he couldn't help but succumb to his growing emotions for her. She could have Ryuiji. After all, Ryou and Ryuiji were no more. They were just friends now. And that fact came first and foremost.
Compared to what she had looked like the night before, Alu looked much more loved, than an orphan, now. Her sandy blonde hair was combed neatly and cut to accent her face, shortened only to her shoulders, unlike where it had been passed her waist. Her clothes, now fit completely, consisting of a blue sweatshirt, pulled over a red t-shirt and dark blue jeans. She looked like a miniature version of Ryuiji if Ryou ever did see one. Alu kept her sapphire eyes focused on Ryou's. She could sense his yami, without even knowing it herself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Well...whattaya want for dinner? The movie starts at five...we've got plenty of time..." Ryou asked, pulling his fist out of one pocket to check the time. He shoved it back in just as quickly.
"Hmn. No idea. Any suggestions sweet heart?" Otogi looked down at the girl in his arms. "Do you like sushi? I haven't had that in a LONG time."
"MMM! I get first the dib on it!" Ryou smirked. Alu cheered at the thought of food, no matter how disgusting it was, at least she could eat. Hopefully, it would be as good as Otogi's cooking from the night before, though.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Author's note: Yeah, I know that was a really corny chapter... I HAD to add something totally boring to prepare you for the cool stuff on the way! Promise it won't suck like this chapter did!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Game Over?
Continue?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
His head hurt badly when he was nudged awake late into the morning by the young girl next to him screaming something about a monster. She was sobbing uncontrollably as Otogi sat up and wrapped his arms protectively around her.
"It's okay little one. It's okay. You're safe. It's okay. It was just a dream. It's alright, you're safe." He continued to repeat, letting her recompose herself in his warm embrace. He was still only a third aware of anything that was going on around him, but somehow his fatherly instinct, or so he believed, had kicked in and moved him unconsciously.
Alu fell quiet just as he halfway awakened.
"Alu? You alright?" he whispered, pushing her gently from his bare chest and looking worriedly into her deep sapphire eyes. She nodded, to his relief, only to sigh shakily and allow him to ease her back to the mattress. He lay beside her, a single arm draped over her waist, gently nuzzling her nose with his own. She giggled at the act. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, seeing her so relaxed and calm, so quickly after what had happened.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up, Daddy."
"It's alright. I guess you deserve some attention just as much as my sleep does." He smiled, looking over her shoulder at the digital alarm clock. It was only seven-thirty in the morning. He usually wouldn't wake up until four or five at night on weekends, but now that he had this responsibility, he could kiss those many hours of rest goodbye.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Alright...my plan for today...get you some clothes that look decent and fit you, meet Ryou at the park around noon, then get some dinner and maybe see a movie. Sound good?" Otogi announced, tugging on a black sweatshirt and layering it over his dark blue, baggy jeans. He dressed Alu in a similar fashion: White t-shirt, overlapped by a large white sweatshirt, more than ten-times too big for her, that drooped over an old pair of shorts that Ryuiji hadn't worn in years, yet they still fit the child like pants, which were tied off with a shoelace and tucked neatly into her pocket.
The girl smiled, following a "Yup", as the boy finished up combing his hair back to perfection. He looked down at Alu.
"One more thing...after we get breakfast...you need a haircut. And I know just the person to do it." Otogi snickered, noticing how disheveled her mop of sandy hair was. Alu looked at him in question, watching him grab a larger brush, one he never used from the day he got it, and began to somewhat brush out all of the knots and tangles he could, doing his best to make his new daughter look civilized.
"Now let's get some food. I'm starved!" he offered, scooping the girl into his arms and trotting out the front door, locking it behind him, and presenting his new self and his daughter to the world.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Otogi!" Ryou bounced down the sidewalk toward the taller boy, glomping him to the ground.
"DAH! Ryou! Down boy! Down boy!" He laughed, flushing red with embarrassment at the younger boy's position on top of him...and in front of his daughter, even! Ryou only ignored his request at first, finishing nearly strangling Otogi to the point of suffocation before letting go and climbing off of him. Ryuiji was still a slight shade of red when he stood up and dusted himself off from the sand and salt on the sidewalk. Alu grabbed his hand, hoping he wasn't going to get angry.
"Are you alright Daddy?" she asked innocently.
Ryou's jaw, if possible, could've dropped strait to the ground at the word 'Daddy'.
"RYUIJI!" He groaned, wanting to know everything he didn't. He usually did this whenever he was confused anyhow, so the action was nothing new.
"It's okay, Ryou. This is my daughter, Alu. I adopted her last night."
"But Otogi...you said you thought you could never handle being a father...? So why...?"
"I guess I was wrong. I love this little girl just as much as I love you. And I refuse to let anything happen to her. I'll protect her just the same as you and Jounouchi. I promise. You'll see."
Ryou seemed a little taken aback by the load of thoughts just shoved into his head, but he just couldn't show it. Ryuiji and him weren't a couple anymore, and he knew that this kind of thing would rear it's ugly head sooner or later. Now, he felt more alone than before, seeing that his closest friend had now taken on a responsibility in which the older boy would have no more time for him anymore. But he was glad to see that Otogi was moving on with his life. At least one of them would be happy.
"Alu, this is Ryou. He's the sweet guy I told you about. And Ryou, you've already met my daughter, Alu." The black haired teenager nodded toward both of them.
Ryou couldn't help but fall instantly in love with the girl's innocence. Although he felt a certain feeling of rivalry between both himself and the child, he couldn't help but succumb to his growing emotions for her. She could have Ryuiji. After all, Ryou and Ryuiji were no more. They were just friends now. And that fact came first and foremost.
Compared to what she had looked like the night before, Alu looked much more loved, than an orphan, now. Her sandy blonde hair was combed neatly and cut to accent her face, shortened only to her shoulders, unlike where it had been passed her waist. Her clothes, now fit completely, consisting of a blue sweatshirt, pulled over a red t-shirt and dark blue jeans. She looked like a miniature version of Ryuiji if Ryou ever did see one. Alu kept her sapphire eyes focused on Ryou's. She could sense his yami, without even knowing it herself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Well...whattaya want for dinner? The movie starts at five...we've got plenty of time..." Ryou asked, pulling his fist out of one pocket to check the time. He shoved it back in just as quickly.
"Hmn. No idea. Any suggestions sweet heart?" Otogi looked down at the girl in his arms. "Do you like sushi? I haven't had that in a LONG time."
"MMM! I get first the dib on it!" Ryou smirked. Alu cheered at the thought of food, no matter how disgusting it was, at least she could eat. Hopefully, it would be as good as Otogi's cooking from the night before, though.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Author's note: Yeah, I know that was a really corny chapter... I HAD to add something totally boring to prepare you for the cool stuff on the way! Promise it won't suck like this chapter did!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Game Over?
Continue?