Title: Rigors of Choice
Ship: Edo x Saiou
Chapters: 1-1||Words: 1,474
Genre: Romance||Rated: G
Challenges: Diversity Writing: YGO GX canon: D40, romance genre; Pairing Diversity Boot Camp, YGO, #11, emotional; Include The Word Boot Camp, YGO, #2, concern; GX Rare Pairs Week, day #6, post-canon
Notes: This takes place a few years post-canon
Summary: When you've lived all your life doing everything because destiny says so, but then destiny no longer speaks, you have to make your own decisions. Saiou needs a little help with that.
Edo took a break from his training, setting himself into one of the most comfortabl chairs and sipping at a cup of his favorite tea. Everything seemed quiet for the moment. He didn't doubt that something would happen to stir events up again, but for now, he enjoyed the rest. He wondered who he would duel once the Pro League season started up again. There were so many options. He looked forward to another battle against Manjoume Jun, and once Marufuji Ryou got back on his feet - well, that would be interesting.
He considered various strategies he could use against them and others, planning what might happen. It would all depend on what lay in the future and for now, he enjoyed the pleasure of not knowing.
His phone rang. Edo's lips quirked for a moment before he answered. He knew who it would be, since very few people had that particular number, and Ryou was too busy healing and dealing with Fujiwara Yuusuke to give him a call. He allowed it just two rings before answering.
"Hello, Saiou," he murmured, knowing the cadence of that breath before a word was spoken. "What can I do for you?" He wondered exactly what it was Saiou wanted. He hoped everything was all right.
"I - I have a question," Saiou said at last, his voice faltering. Edo tensed. He didn't like the idea of Saiou being in trouble of any sort.
"What is it?"
Saiou hesitated again before speaking. "What is my favorite snack?"
Edo blinked a few times. Of all the questions in the world, he'd never expected to hear that. "Excuse me?"
"I don't remember what my favorite snack is," Saiou confessed more than a little sheepishly. "I was thinking about getting one, but - none of them feel right."
Edo closed his eyes for a few seconds. Saiou's recovery had been coming along very well but there were times when something just didn't work right. This seemed to be one of those. He drew in a silent breath, hoping that Saiou didn't hear him, and spoke. "I can get there soon." He knew that he could just tell Saiou what sort of snack he liked, but knew this was a rare chance to see Saiou's face when he had that snack for the not-quite-first time. Plus, he didn't want to just pick. That wouldn't help at all.
"All right. I'm at the apartment." Saiou told him. Edo promised again to be there soon, hung up, and told his trainer that he would work late that night. Then he quickly headed out, trying not to smile too much. Saiou could sometimes be adorable without even tying to be.
Saiou needed to learn to do this, and it really wouldn't be that difficult. Perhaps even a touch amusing. Edo headed up to the apartment and inside, smiling at the sight of Saiou sat in his favorite chair. The former psychic rose to his feet as soon as Edo entered, brightening in the same moment.
Edo's first instinct was just to hug him. Even when he looked more cheerful, he still looked so lost, as if the weighty concept of choosing a snack was too much for him to bear. Instead, Edo rested a comforting hand on Saiou's shoulder. It wasn't easy given the difference in their heights, but he did it regardless.
"Did you want to go to the store?" Edo asked quietly. "Or did you have something else in mind?" It wouldn't be the first time that Saiou shopped online. He wasn't exactly afraid of leaving the apartment, but he wasn't good at talking to people these days. So most of the time he didn't bother and just ordered what he wanted in.
Saiou pressed his lips together for a few heartbeats then straightened up. "The store. There's a chocolate store at the end of the block."
Edo had seen it on his trips in and out. He'd never gone inside, though, having too much of his own work to do. But he nodded. "Let's go then."
Truth to tell, he didn't know if Saiou even had a favorite sweet or snack in general. Usually he sampled various teas and whatever it was that Mizuchi made for snacks. He wondered if he could persuade Saiou to try and make his own snacks eventually. Something like that might be able to ground him, something Saiou could use drastically.
To begin with, though, the two of them headed downstairs and to the sweet store. Stepping inside meant entering a place where the scent of chocolate wafted over them like a tidal wave. Edo had never been too fond of chocolate himself but he could see why it appealed to some people. He glanced over at Saiou, who stared at all of the offerings as if he truly wanted to take them all and knew that he couldn't.
In many ways, Saiou had to learn how to be a person all over again. He'd relied on his second sight for so long, never having to make a proper decision because he knew what would happen long before it did, and now that he didn't have that anymore, he had to learn how to work his way through all the options that life had to offer. Edo wondered if he'd gotten around to picking a favored toothpaste yet.
"Which one of them really appeal to you?" He asked, gesturing to all of the wares. Saiou glanced at each of them in turn, worrying at his lip before he he started to walk down the aisles. He didn't stop for long at any of them, observing. Edo walked along with him, spying a few chocolates that he knew Saiou had tasted before. But he didn't seem interested in those, until he stopped by a row of KitKats, in an extremely wide variety of flavors.
"These are interesting," he said at last, nodding towards the racks of sweets. Saiou glanced that way, nodding in agreement, though quite slowly, as if he weren't actually sure he agreed or not. He took a hesitant step closer.
"I've had these before," he mused, eyes flicking from one brightly wrapped sample to another. Edo agreed, letting Saiou come to his own conclusions and make up his own mind. He knew which one he liked, but Saiou needed to make his own choice. It wouldn't help him in any way to choose for him.
Slowly Saiou reached out for one of the items. His touch was hesitant at first as he brushed his fingertips across one of the items, then another of them, not picking up anything until he came to one in particular. His eyes lightened at once.
"I remember this one - I liked it."
Edo checked which one it was - dark matcha KitKats. Saiou had always had a soft spot for KitKats, he'd noticed, and more than once Edo had brought a few over when he'd gone on trips back to the States. Saiou savored each and every one of them, but he'd always enjoyed these the most. So now he nodded.
"Is that the one you want right now?"
Saiou hesitated for a few seconds, then pressed his lips together and picked it up. Then he glanced at Edo, a question clearly visible in those brilliant violet eyes of his. Edo nodded; this was a trip for Saiou and he could do whatever he pleased. Edo's concern was only that he did do what he wanted.
With that gesture of support, Saiou stepped over to the drink area. Edo didn't stop himself from smiling. Saiou learning how to do things because he wanted to do them and not because destiny told him to do it - he knew how it felt. There was something unutterably thrilling about choices.
While waiting for Saiou to make his decision there, Edo examined the sweets himself, wondering if he wanted something. There were so many options and flavors that he only saw in Japan. He snorted softly at the "Black Thunder" brand - it wasn't Manjoume's, but he'd probably be having them as sponsors sooner or later. He ended up picking up some salted caramel and went over to select his own drink, pleased to see Saiou now holding a nicely chilled white peach cider. He'd never quite had the taste for that himself, but he'd seen Saiou enjoy it before. That meant he still had the same tastes - he just had to remember them all, and be sure he wanted them, instead of being told to eat or drink something because his visions told him that was what he'd eat or drink.
Edo didn't often take breaks from his training, especially for little snacks like this, but this was one time he found himself very glad to have done so.
The End
Notes: I finally have finished GX Rare Pairs Week! Now I can get back to GX Month (and oh, boy, do I have a lot to get caught up on there!)
Saiou has a lot of adjusting to do. But he will have help!