Series: Solid Spirits||Title: Black Eye
Ship: Yubel x Juudai (implied)
Chapters: 1-1||Words: 999
Genre: Drama, Romance||Rated: G
Challenges: Halloween Trick or Treat Advent 2015, YGo GX, generate 10 random words and use in them in a fic under 1,000 words; Advent 2015-2016, YGO GX, day #14, write about anything; Valentine's Day to White Day 2016, YGO GX, re-do a prompt (Word Counts Set Boot Camp, YGO GX, #13, 999); Easter Egg Basket Advent 2016, YGO GX, day #11, Duel Monster POV; One Ship Boot Camp, Yubel x Juudai, #17, fragile; Include The Word Boot Camp, YGO, #10, hook; Soulshipping Week 2021, day #6, AU; Febuwhump 2022, day #8, black eye
Notes: The setting of this AU is that while most things are like in canon, duel spirits share the world with humans, can be seen and touched, and some are connected to their cards. Yubel has been partners with Juudai for over a year here.
Summary: Not everyone likes it when Juudai wins a duel – and Yubel doesn't like it when people hurt their beloved Juudai.
Yubel looked up as the door opened and they heard Juudai's unsteady footsteps. In a single heartbeat they stood and crossed over to where they could see him, just in time to catch him before his legs no longer supported him. Yubel refused to allow him to collapse, catching him in their arms and taking him over to the couch. They turned him over gently and brushed one finger against his face, where a fresh black eye stood out to their eyes.
Someone had hurt him. That sparked every instinct Yubel possessed to protect and defend him. Yubel didn't know who it might be, but there were so many options. The Light of Ruin could have found them - Juudai's hereditary enemy wasn't ever to be underestimated. But there were also plenty of children around, who had no idea of how they should treat someone like Juudai. Though the Light remained the first thought on their mind. It could get into any of those children and use them to hurt Juudai.
Slowly his eyes opened, such a sweet and gentle brown, even with that shiner there. Yubel pressed their fingers against his skin as they continued to crouch over him, wings spread in his defense. He blinked as he started to sit up.
"Yubel?" He asked quietly. "I made it home?"
There were other bruises, Yubel noticed, and each one made it harder for them to control the urge to go find who had done this and unleash proper judgment. Someone had truly hurt him.
"You're home," Yubel agreed. "What happened?" They wanted Juudai to tell them. But he didn't often admit what happened when he went out on his own. Truth, however, was central to a good relationship, and Yubel would never lie to Juudai. "Do I need to hurt someone?"
He hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly shook his head. "It wasn't that bad - I just got into a little fight."
Yubel crossed their arms over their chest. "Tell me."
Juudai started to wriggle, and Yubel allowed him to sit up a little more. "I won the duel."
Yubel smiled without a bit of hesitation there. Their fingers pressed against Juudai's arm in praise. "You're getting better and better." They wanted to be with him, in his deck, but Juudai liked to fight on his own sometimes. He said it could get too easy to win if he depended on them all the time. Yubel didn't believe that, but perhaps if he went without them for a while, he would learn better. But this wasn't what Yubel had in mind. They did feel a little lonely when Juudai went out dueling, but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle.
"But Sugiyama, he didn't like it." Juudai made a face. "You remember him, don't you? He kinda looks like a walking tree?"
"Oh, yes." Yubel nodded, claws tightening for a few seconds. Oh, they wanted so badly to teach Sugiyama a lesson. So far Juudai had held them back. But Yubel wasn't going to let that keep on happening. In the past, he might have claimed what they had in mind was "too much" and "out of proportion", but as far as Yubel was concerned, it was what was deserved.
Juudai rubbed at his face a little. "He's got a good right hook, too. I won and I went over to shake his hand and he hit me in the face and his buddies kicked me around. I ran away -"
Yubel stroked his forehead ever so gently. "You should get some rest. I'll take care of Sugiyama. Then when you're feeling better, we can go to the cinema together." They quite liked a lot of what was shown there, and they knew Juudai enjoyed it too.
At first it looked as if Juudai were going to try to protest. Then he sighed, closed his eyes, and laid back down on the couch. "Okay. Can we see Death Robot 9000: The Movie?"
Yubel held back an amused sigh. "Again?" Every weekend for the last two months since the movie had been released, Juudai insisted on going to watch it. The last two times he'd been able to recite all of the dialogue flawlessly.
"Please?" Juudai stared up at them, clearly making his eyes as large as he could and pouting some at the same time. Yubel chuckled at last.
"If that's what you want." They would also check with Juudai's parents and find something to cover up that black eye until it healed. That wouldn't be long; Juudai could and did heal faster than normal humans. Of course, he wasn't a normal human. Yubel kept that secret close to their heart. There wasn't a moment when Yubel didn't keep a sharp eye out for any who could be the hidden minions of the Light of Ruin.
Perhaps Sugiyama had been seduced by it. It wouldn't at all be the first time that a child had been deceived by it. Yubel had no qualms at all with killing to defend - or avenge - Juudai. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.
What made it more annoying was that in this modern age, no one who wasn't Yubel knew that the power of Haou slept within Juudai and that he should thus be defended and protected. No matter how tempting it was, Yubel knew they couldn't let anyone else know. All they could do was defend to the best of their abilities. So even though they wanted to shred Sugiyama into bits, it would be better if they didn't.
Until Juudai fell asleep, Yubel rested next to him, stroking his forehead and singing softly to him. He murmured what he'd done in the duel and they nodded along, determined that they would convince him to put their card in the deck. Those cards that possessed manifested spirits could be used in duels, though it wasn't done often in such casual settings.
Yubel would always be there for Juudai.
The End
Notes: The words I generated & used in this fic were: collapse, defend, enemy, crouch, central, wriggle, lonely, tree, proportion, & cinema. I am thinking of returning here one day, because I like the idea. Imagine Ryou having a physical Cyber End Dragon. And that's just the beginning. Johan with Rainbow Dragon, anyone? So much potential!
