DGG: Hello, everyone! It's time for another little story. Yay! This one features Baby Yuzu!
Thanks for reading!
"Look, Yuya! Look who it is," Yoko gasped to the baby in her arms as Skip walked through the front door carrying his own little bundle of joy.
Little Yuya stretched out his feet while making what sounded like a two-syllable grunt.
"That's right," his mother continued to fawn. "It's Yuzu. She's here to play with you."
Skip gave a wan smile, but said nothing.
"What's wrong?" Yusho asked, placing a hand on his hip.
"Oh, uh…nothing," the man avoided eye contact with either of his friends.
Yusho frowned.
"Skip, what's going on? You can't possibly entertain the crowd in this state."
Like Yusho, Skip was also a professional Entertainment Duelist. And, like his best friend, he donned a flashy, red suit, complete with his own top hat with his own pair of goggles fastened around the base and resting on the brim. There was a tournament going on, and both males were competing in the beginning rounds.
"Well…" Skip started as his eyes fell to his baby daughter, who was happily chewing on a bracelet that was much too large for her to actually wear yet.
"Oh," Yoko smiled. "Skip, you don't have to worry about Yuzu. She'll be fine."
"But I've never left her anywhere before!" he exclaimed. "What if…what if she thinks I've abandoned her! She's never been without me. She won't understand."
"Babies are pretty resilient, Skip," spoke Yusho. "I think Yuzu will be fine. She'll be in good hands. Plus she has Yuya to play with. That will keep her nice and preoccupied."
"Well…what if she gets scared or something?"
"Yuzu will be just fine," Yoko gave the male a reassuring smile. "Besides, I'm pretty sure this has less to do with Yuzu being away from you and more about you being away from Yuzu."
"Well…she's my baby," he gave the baby a squeeze. "She's just so tiny and precious…I don't want to be away from her."
"Here, Yusho, take your son," Yoko handed the baby boy to his father, who happily took him and held him high in the air, making him giggle. Then she turned toward the other duelist. "Here. Let me take her."
"Oh," Skip groaned as he hugged his daughter. "Okay, Yuzu. You're going to stay here with Aunt Yoko and Yuya. Now it'll only be for a few hours. I'll be back. Don't you worry."
Yuzu began to whimper, wriggling in his arms, presumably uncomfortable in her father's tight grip.
"See! She doesn't want me to go. That's it! She's coming with me."
"And then what?" Yoko raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Who's going to watch her at the Stadium while you're out on the field?"
"Uh…Yusho?"
"But what if I'm dueling, too?" he asked, now gently bouncing Yuya in his arms.
"Uh…"
"And you can't take Yuzu out onto the field with you. How can you do any sort of acrobatics with her strapped to your back?" Yusho pointed out.
"Uh…well…"
"Unofficial duels are one thing," he continued, "but you can't take her out during an official one, Skip. You'll be disqualified. Not to mention the crowd would get pretty upset if you had to interrupt the duel just to change her diaper."
Skip sighed as he rubbed Yuzu's back, the little girl having gone back to playing with the large bracelet she was holding.
"I know," he mumbled, his shoulders slumping.
"She's going to be fine," Yoko smiled as she held out her arms again.
The man groaned as he reluctantly passed his daughter to the woman. Yuzu smiled up at her. Yuya grunted, Yusho noting that the baby was staring at Yuzu. Yuzu's hair always caught Yuya's attention. Unfortunately, he liked to grab and pull it rather than just admire it.
"You're absolutely sure about this, Yoko?" Skip gave her an imploring frown.
Yoko chuckled as she gently bounced the baby.
"Yes. I'm sure."
"I just feel bad leaving her with you," Skip admitted. "You already have your own little baby. Now you'll have to take care of two tiny babies at the same time…"
"People with twins seem to manage that task just fine. I think I'll be able to manage it for an evening."
Skip leaned his head back and sighed through his nose.
"Hey," Yusho placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, causing Skip to look at him, "it's going to be all right. Yoko can handle it, and Yuzu will be just fine."
"Yeah," Skip nodded with another sigh as he slipped the diaper bag off his shoulder and handed it toward Yoko. "Okay. She's got everything in there: medicine, bottles, diapers, formula, her favorite blankie, and some extra clothes, just in case. I even packed her favorite bedtime story. And you already know that she never parts with that bracelet, for some reason. Her bedtime is eight o' clock, and – "
"Skip," Yoko interrupted him with a soft chuckle. "I got it. I have a baby, too. I know how it works."
"Yeah... But I'm going to call and check in on her!"
"We'll be here," Yoko smiled. "Say bye-bye, Yuzu," she waved the baby's arm at her father. "Say bye-bye. Good luck, Daddy. Good luck."
"Oh, Yuzu!" Skip started to wail. "I'm gonna miss you!"
Yoko and Yusho exchanged glances with one another as Skip continued to bawl. Even the babies were staring at the man as he continued to cry his very passionate tears.
"Um…come on, Skip," Yusho spoke as he moved toward the man.
"I can't do this!"
"Sure you can. First time is always the hardest," he placed a hand on Skip's shoulder again. "I didn't feel like going to work after Yuya was born. It's still hard on some days, Skip. But he's always here when I come home."
"Yeah, but you also have help," Skip sniffled.
"And so do you," Yoko pointed out. "I'm always here to help you. Whenever you need a babysitter for this sweet little girl, you know who to call."
"Yeah. And this babysitter also comes equipped with someone Yuzu's own age to play with," Yusho smiled while proudly holding up Yuya, who wriggled in the air.
"Okay. Enough tears. Enough stalling. You boys have to get to the Stadium before the tournament starts. Give me the baby, Yusho."
"Your mama's kicking us out," Yusho held Yuya up to his face. "I'll see you later, son. You have fun tonight. Don't pull Yuzu's hair."
Yuya squealed as Yusho gave him a kiss on the forehead before handing him over to his mother.
"You got them both?"
"Yes. I've got them," Yoko smiled. "All right, boys. Go. Have fun. Entertain. We'll be watching on TV."
"You hear that, Skip? Yuzu will be watching you. So go out there and give her your best performance," Yusho smiled.
"Oh," Skip bent down toward Yuzu, who stared at him as she sucked on her bracelet. "Bye-bye, Yuzu. I promise I'll come and get you tonight. I love you. Yeah. I love you. Bye. Bye, Yuzu. Bye. Buh-bye – "
Yoko looked toward her husband as Skip continued to repeatedly say bye to his daughter; the man clearly had no intentions of stopping.
"Come on, Skip," Yusho grabbed his friend's arm and began pulling him toward the door. "We really have to be going."
"Be a good girl, Yuzu. I won't be long. I promise!" Skip continued as he was dragged across the room.
Yoko shook her head as Yusho struggled to open the front door. Finally, Yusho mustered enough strength in order to practically fling Skip out the door first. Yusho sighed in relief.
"Bye, my love. I'll see you later."
She smiled.
"We'll be here."
The woman was immediately startled by a thump at the window. When she turned, she sighed, finding Skip at the window. Yoko turned back toward Yusho, who shook his head with a sigh and a chuckle.
"Come on, Skip," Yusho called as he walked to the front window and began forcibly pulling his friend toward the car.
"No! Yuzu! I won't be gone long! I promise!" Skip hollered while being dragged away.
Yoko shook her head as she turned around and headed toward the couch, where she gently placed the two babies on a cushion together.
"Your father is a good man, Yuzu," she tickled the girl's stomach, causing her to flail and laugh. "You're definitely his most prized and cherished possession. Just like Yuya is mine," she then tickled her son, making him squeal in delight. "But I can tell your father is going to have a very hard time of letting go of you as you get bigger. He's going to embarrass you, but he means so well. Always remember to keep in mind just how much he loves you, baby girl."
Yuzu squealed.