#after that but it's shut down pretty quickly in the super bun arc as a joke so that goes nowhere)

[kosakashuntaro]

saw someone complaining that oresama teacher has no endgame romance

[shadow13dickpistons]

Happy Birthday, Yugi Muto!

@pharaoh-ink absolutely DEMANDED I post this drabble I did while bored at work for Yugi's birthday, so, here you go: original manga arc/season 0 setting.

“(What’s a birthday?)”

Yugi paused in buckling the last of his belts and accouterments; he could hear and feel the spirit moving restlessly inside his puzzle. “What do you mean, what’s a birthday? It’s the day you’re born.”

“(That makes no sense. You were not born today, you are full grown.)”

“Not full grown,” he sighed, glancing at himself in the mirror. Surely he was due for just one more good growth spurt? “It’s the anniversary of your birth,” he clarified, and heard the spirit hum within.

“(You’re excited about it. Why?)”

“Yugi! You’ll be late for school!” His mother was calling from the bottom of the stairs, and Yugi hurriedly shoved his books into his bag.

“I’ll explain it later,” he promised, rushing down.

Along with his breakfast at the table, there was a small, chocolate-covered crème bun, and his eyes bugged in glee. His mother also looked very pleased about it, kissing him on the brow. “Happy birthday, Yugi, dear.”

As he wolfed down his food before Anzu arrived to walk with him, the spirit seemed to understand more. “(Ah, you like those.)”

“Uh huh.”

“(So birthdays are days for treats. Your mother gave it to you to make today special?)”

He didn’t know quite how to explain something so basic to him. After all, his birthday wasn’t the only day he could have a chocolate crème bun, but certainly he got one today because it was. He was spared this attempt by Anuz’s arrival. “Happy birthday, Yugi!” She had a small box for him, wrapped in colorful paper, and now the spirit was very interested.

“(What’s that? What’s this paper? What are these curls? Why is she giving you that? What’s inside it?)”

“Will you just give me a second! Oh-” He blushed at Anzu. “Not you – him.”

Her blue eyes lit up and she glanced quickly at the puzzle. “Is he giving you a lot of trouble today?”

“He doesn’t know what a birthday is. Or wrapping paper, either, I guess.”

“You don’t have to open it now.”

“No, I want to!” He did so carefully, not wanting to tear the paper. He folded that and slid it into his book bag, before opening the box. “Oh wow! Cologne!”

Anzu giggled and nudged him with her elbow. “You can smell like a sexy movie star now.” Yugi flushed from toe to head, and felt very hot. The spirit was still amused, but no longer asking so many questions. “Go on and try it, and let’s get going, before we’re late!” Yugi dabbed some along his throat, just above his choker, and took every opportunity of getting near Anzu so she could tell him how masculine and adult he smelled – in a good way, of course.

----------------------------

“Jeeze, Yuge – you smell like you walked out of the perfume department.” Jonouchi waved his book to diffuse the odor somewhat.

“Anzu thinks I smell very grown up!” He’d been so pleased with the effect of the cologne, he might have put on just a teensy bit more to make that stronger. And then maybe a little more after that. This, at least, the spirit of the puzzle had no questions about. He apparently understood the purpose of colognes.

“Grown up, maybe, and working as a pim-”

“Shut up,” Honda cuffed him on the arm. “It’s his birthday!”

“(They can’t tease you, because it’s your birthday?)”

“It would be a little mean.”

“Here, Yugi,” Honda handed him a small package, this time wrapped in newspaper. “Jo and I got together and got this for you.”

“(More packages! What’s inside? Why isn’t this one all pretty like Anzu’s?)”

“Hush.” To his friends, he said, “You guys didn’t have to do that!”

“Aw, it’s not much,” Jonouchi smiled, though his eyes watered from the cologne. He watched Yugi open it and said, “It’s that new CD, from that scary band you like!”

“Oh, wow!” Yugi was ecstatic. “I can’t wait to listen to it! You guys are the best.”

“You’ll always be our buddy, pal.”

Yugi had never felt so loved before this. There was no birthday wish he could possibly make, because his puzzle had granted the only one he really wanted. Bakura had given him a card he made, with a small Zombire doodle by Hanasaki included inside, wishing him a “powerfully fun,” birthday. He set this at the end of his desk, waiting for class to start, when-

“Oh, Kaiba-kun’s here today!”

He felt the spirit curl inside the puzzle, like a dog with its hackles raised. “(Don’t like him.)”

“You don’t like anybody.”

“(That’s not true. I like Anzu.)”

The tall boy’s briefcase knocked the card off Yugi’s desk as he passed. He reached down to get it, but Kaiba had already covered the corner of it with his foot, stooping to see what it was. “Oh, uh…” Yugi felt unconscionably embarrassed.

Kaiba rose with the card in hand, giving it a quick once over. “It’s your birthday today?” He was so eerie, with these flat, blue eyes, and a mouth that rarelysmiled. But he was interesting, too: quiet, but very smart. He was always alone, and maybe Yugi pitied that – or maybe he just understood.

“U-uh-huh.”

Jonouchi and Honda were squaring up behind him as if a fight was about to break out. “That’s Yugi’s, give it back to him.”

Kaiba glanced from the card, to Yugi, to his friends – and snorted. “It’s not as if I wanted a bunch of toddler scribbles.” He held it out to Yugi. “Here. Happy birthday.”

“Th-thanks.”

Kaiba turned to go to his desk, but paused. “Are you wearing cologne?”

Yugi was spared from answering by the teacher entering and calling the class to order. It was only then he realized how quiet the spirit of the puzzle had been during this exchange. He soon realized why: he was still trying to catalog a list of people of whom he approved. “(I like you.)”

Yugi just smiled to himself.

----------------------------

His grandfather’s gift was ready when he got home that afternoon. “Wow, Grandpa!” A holographic Dark Magician card. “Where did you get this!”

“I have my sources,” was all he said, very pleased.

“It’s awesome!” He hugged him, perhaps a little too enthusiastically for such an old man. “Thank you so much!”

The spirit particularly liked this present, and was in favor of going over the deck right then, but Yugi’s mother said no games and no playing his new CD until his homework for the evening was done; she knew he’d pay more attention to the music and cards than to his schoolwork. Like Yugi, the spirit was not in favor of homework. Luckily, he didn’t have to do any… “(Can I play a game while you do your work?)”

Yugi sighed, going to his shelf. “Sure…What did you want tonight?”

“(Those little magnets, the round ones.)”

“The desk toy?” Yugi took down a cylindrical tube full of super-magnets. “Be careful, they spill everywhere.”

“(I’ll be careful.)”

Yugi and the spirit had discovered that, if he let his mind go kind of blank, if he let his eyes go a little unfocused, the spirit could take the left hand while he remained busy with the right; this was crucial for surviving lectures, or the spirit would vibrate so intensely with complaints of boredom, Yugi couldn’t concentrate on what he was meant to be learning. He sort of lost sensation of his left side, and it was like he only could see from half the left eye, when they split in this manner. It was uncomfortable and disturbing at first, but like everything else involving the puzzle, he’d become accustomed to it with time. So tonight, he read his book while his left hand worked on whatever was occupying the spirit of the puzzle, and finally was able to finish about an hour before bed. He stood and stretched, shaking out his left hand to regain sensation in the fingers. “There! Shall we work on the deck?”

“(Wait. Look first.)”

“What is it?” Yugi turned back to the desk.

There, in a three-dimensional sculpture of small magnets, the spirit had written: “Happy Birthday, Yugi.”

He could feel the other him waiting with tense anticipation. “(Is it alright?)”

“This is what you wanted to do?”

“(Yes. Is it alright?)”

Yugi didn’t know what to do, so he wrapped his arms around himself and hugged his torso tight. “It’s wonderful. Thank you.”

He seemed to like it. “(Happy birthday.)”