Airborne
Summary: The Blue Peak snowboarding competition. Famous snowboarder Seto Kaiba is determined to win, like always. But with the arrival of a new crimson eyed competitor, will more than just Seto's reputation change? SetoxYami AU
Notes: Yeah…believe it. I'm writing something OTHER than yamixhikari…amazing, huh? This was a challenge by a friend of mine, who said I can't write anything other than yamixhikari. HA Take this, Jalissa! Well, I chose prideshipping because…well, I haven no idea. I just did…
About the actual story, I'm horrible with anything money and medical related. I'm going to use dollars for everything, and I'm not sure of the exact cost of a severe operation, so let's pretend that 100,000 dollars is A LOT. Bare with me, I'm a writer, not a doctor or an accountant. Besides, it's not that important.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything except my keyboard!
CHAPTER ONE:
Yami sat still in the metal chair, silently shaking from fear and the cold. His eyes were red and puffy, his cheeks and lips were blue. His bottom lip quivered as a cold breath of air passed through them. He was numb to the world, to the people calling out to him, to the numerous doctors that flew by, rushing to the ambulance outside.
The ambulance that held his brother, Yugi.
Tears stung in the corners of Yami's eyes. He bit his lip as he tried to hold them back, but more just kept pouring down his face. It was too overwhelming.
He didn't even twitch as a stretcher was carried into the hospital, people shouting to get out of the way. Yami didn't even blink as the ends of a doctor's coat smacked him in the face.
Yami forced a sob to stay locked in his throat. He didn't blame the slippery, wet roads for what happened a few minutes ago. He didn't blame the driver for not stopping at the pedestrian sign. He only blamed himself.
His brother was by his side on that road, his brother pushed him out of the way, his brother was probably dying this very second.
And Yami blamed everything on himself. Everything. Yami lowered his head so that his chin bounced on his chest. I'll make it up to you, Yugi. Yami thought determinedly. Whatever it takes.
(ONE WEEK LATER)
Yami silently coughed to himself as stirred his bowl of cereal with his spoon. His grandfather was sitting on the opposite end of the table, reading the newspaper silently. Silently…
This is how it always was, the past week. Yugi wasn't there to bounce down the stairs and give everyone a large hug and kiss, Yugi wasn't there to start a conversation with, Yugi wasn't there to put a smile on Yami or Grandpa's face...
Yami looked down into his bowl of cereal as he lifted a spoonful of Cheerios up to his mouth. It never occurred to him just how much they needed Yugi...
The silence was broken when the phone rang. Both Yami and Grandpa Mutou looked at each other, before Grandpa stood up and walked over to the phone.
"Hello?" He said with a semi-cracked voice. Yami cringed. His grandfather and he still haven't had the chance to get a full night sleep. Just the thought of waking up to the sound of the phone ringing...bad news about Yugi...It chilled both beings to the bone, even more so than the 40 degree temperature outside.
"Ah, hello Dr. Osaki." Grandpa Mutou replied.
Yami stood up fiercely from the table, nearly spilling his uneaten bowl of cereal. He stared at his grandfather with wide, nervous eyes. Dr. Osaki was Yugi's doctor at the hospital. Yami swallowed a lump of fear down his throat as tears already began to sting at his crimson eyes.
Almost instantly, the 'what ifs?' flooded Yami's mind. What if Yugi's heart beat monitor was slowing, without a doctor nearby? What if Yugi suddenly awoke from his coma, not knowing where he was? What if Yugi's heart suddenly stopped? Yami shook his head. Oh god, please...
"Yes...oh...dear gosh, I...I don't know...that quite a lot of...there's none?" Grandpa Mutou sounded more and more discouraged as he continued the conversation with the doctor.
Yami was standing on knees of jello, waiting for the conversation to end. Just say Yugi's alright, just say he's alright! Yami screamed mentally.
"Yes, doctor. I understand...I'll think about it...but...yes...thank you, Doctor Osaki." Solomon Mutou slowly lifted the phone down from his ear. Placing a shaky hand on the receiver, he gently hung up. The old man continued to stare the receiver, head hanging low.
Oh god, what did he say? Yami took a deep breath as he stepped closer to his grandfather.
"G-Grandpa?" Yami asked, an octave too high. He widened his eyes as he saw two droplets of water appear on the back of the phone receiver. Grandpa was...crying? Oh god! Oh god! Yami rushed over to his grandfather, enveloping the man in his arms. "Grandpa! What happened, please tell me!" Yami couldn't control the tears falling from his eyes as well. Both of them had trouble the past week controlling their emotions, even for the silliest of things.
Yami felt Grandpa Mutou pull away from him.
"Yugi is in stable condition, like before." Solomon said sternly, trying his best to hide his shaky voice. Yami's heart leaped. "They...they said that they needed to perform...an operation." Yami's heart dropped. He could only watch as more tears fell from his grandfather's eyes.
An operation? Yami already knew what Grandpa was worried about...
"An operation that costs 100,000…"
Yami lied down on his bed. His back was pushed into the mattress, hands gripped into the covers. He lifted his hands up to wipe a droplet of water from the corner of his eyes. God how much he wanted to stop crying…
100,000 dollars...Yami said to himself over and over. There's no way we can pay that type of money...without going into some major debt. Yami lifted a hand up, wiping his eyes for the umpteenth time. Yugi...
Yami looked over at Yugi's bed next to him. The sheets were still tangled from when Yugi's small form last slept in them. Yami's eyes trailed along the wall, eyeing all the posters that his little brother taped up.
There were some of Duel Monsters, a popular game that both he and his brother where known to be masters at. A Dark Magician poster stared at Yami from high on the wall.
Yami looked over to the back of Yugi's bed, eyeing the largest poster in the room. It was of the famous, nation-wide champion snowboarder, Seto Kaiba. The nineteen year old won every single competition he's faced, and became the hottest teen model for sports. Yugi was always inspired by Seto Kaiba, wanting to become a snowboarder just like him.
Snowboarding was mighty famous and popular in their city of Greenville. Once every year there would be the Blue Peak Snowboard Competition, or BPC. Everyone knew about the Blue Peak Competition. Only the best of the best could win the cash prize, like Seto Kaiba did. Yami and Yugi would stay up all night, calculating who would win the rounds...
Yami groaned as he tried to shove the memories out of his mind. He buried his face into his pillow, soaking it with his tears. A muffled sob escaped his throat. He couldn't stand the thought of Yugi not watching the snowboard competitions with him anymore, not being able to see his little brother in his bright orange helmet and ear muffs. Yami wondered if he'll ever be able to lift Yugi onto his shoulders, laughing as Yugi shouted words of encouragement to the competitors as they stood in the sidelines.
His smile, those round cheeks, wide amethyst eyes, the loud cheerful voice...
"...Yugi..." Yami cried. He kicked his legs on his mattress, squeezing his eyes as hard as possible. He couldn't loose him...he wouldn't loose him...
"Whatever it takes…"
Yami suddenly looked up at the calendar.
The letters BPC were written childishly in a dark blue marker, exactly two weeks from today. Yugi's writing…
The competition...
Yami sprang. He jumped out of the bed, wiping his eyes of tears. Dashing downstairs, Yami passed his grandfather who was reading on the couch and moved into the dining room. He reached out and grabbed the newspaper that Grandpa was reading before at breakfast.
Dashing back up the stairs, Yami sat upon his bed again. His heart beat increased with each second, eyes following each paper he turned, waiting...reading...
And suddenly he stopped.
There, covering an entire page was an advertisement. But not just any advertisement...
It was the official announcement of the new, Blue Peak Snowboard Competition happening in two weeks. March 31st.
Yami's eyes trailed down the papers, looking for the prize...
And the cash prize is, a whopping one hundred thousand dollars!...
Yami looked up to the poster above Yugi's bed. Determined crimson eyes stared at the image of Seto Kaiba.
I said I would make it up to you, Yugi. This competition gives exactly what you need…but…Seto Kaiba?...no…
Yami ripped out the advertisement, and folded it into his pocket. He stood up, eyes never leaving the poster. Seto Kaiba...there was no doubt he would be here for the competition. Yami bit his lip, hope leaving him that he even had a chance against this guy…
No, I promised you... whatever it takes. Even if that means I'll have to go up against the infamous Seto Kaiba...
Yami's eyes narrowed at the poster, fists clenching in themselves.
…So be it.
Soooo...yeah. Different I know. Drop a review if you'd like to continue, ok? Thanks. I've got chapter two all typed, just need your opinions.
Oh and PS. I'm not quitting any of my other fics, so not to worry. They will be worked on...soon enough.