Yugioh GX | Off-duty Hero

[g_uava]

Title: Off-duty Hero
Pairing: Marufuji Ryo/Edo Phoenix
Date Posted: 05 August 2023
Rating: SFW
Wordcount: 3227
Content Notes: Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Slice of Life
Summary: To watch Ryo play competitive chess, Edo appears like Superman in the guise of Clark Kent.

The chess competition held in the community centre was a lot like any one of the minor league Duel Monster matches that Ryo had also participated in. That is, except for the celebrity duelist seated among the handful of spectators. When Ryo shared where he'd be on that Saturday morning, Edo just wished him luck on his first attempt at playing competitive chess without a word about actually coming down to watch him. But after Ryo was done checking in at the venue, he spotted Edo across the hall, sitting cross-legged on one of the plastic chairs laid out for supporters and waving at him.

Ryo pretended not to see him. From Edo's lack of tie and the pair of glasses with black rectangular frames perched on his nose, it seemed that he was trying to appear less recognisable as Edo Phoenix, though paper-thin his disguise was. If he really didn't want to draw any attention to himself, it'd be best for Ryo to act like there was no connection between the both of them, should someone recognise Ryo for his activities in the Duel Monster world and extrapolate Edo's identity from even the briefest interaction.

During the match's fifteen-minutes intermission, two middle-aged women in loose clothes and curly hair tied in ponytails went up to Ryo.

"Young man," one of them said. "Do you happen to be someone famous?"

"No," Ryo replied.

It was the truth, as of late. He had become more active as a professional duelist, but his profile was much lower than Sho's, and a world away from Edo's. Even if some of his opponents do still call him by his old nickname, it was no longer one well-known in mainstream culture as it had been before.

He thought of pointing Edo out as an actual famous person in their midst, but held his tongue.

The other woman asked, "Can we take a picture with you anyway?"

Ryo let them stand and grin at his either side as one of them held at arm's length her flip phone to take a shot. Then another as she and her friend examined the result, and asked Ryo to smile more for one more photo. He admitted that in his first one, he was cringing more than smiling.

A voice in his head sounding like Fubuki had piped up, 'It's the return of the Kaiserins!' That had been what Ryo's female fans called themselves, back in the day. At least they didn't sound as silly as the 'wind fairies', who were the fangirls fanning the sails of Fubuki's career.

The middle-aged women shared that they were there to support their sons, one of whom Ryo had beaten earlier. It seemed strange for a mother to cozy up to someone who had dealt their kid a loss, but he wasn't one to talk, not while the boy responsible for his career-crippling losing streak all those years ago was in the same room to watch him advance in a different game.

After Ryo poured himself a complimentary cup of coffee, he surveyed the hall and happened to meet Edo's eyes. Edo smiled, then mouthed silent words, pursing and parting his lips to make each one distinct for Ryo to read across the room.

'You look cool.'

Ryo disagreed. He peered down at his grey suit and black turtleneck, thinking he appeared presentable at most.

When he looked up, Edo mouthed more words at him.

'I want to kiss you.'

Edo was staring at his lips. Ryo covered them as he took a sip of his coffee.

Just when he was swallowing, one of the competitors, a young boy in a black gakuran uniform went up to talk to Edo. From where Ryo was, he couldn't hear what was said to Edo, but Edo's reply was loud enough for him to catch. Some words in English that sent the stranger scurrying away.

So that turned out to be Edo's method for driving others away all morning, hiding in plain view through pretending to be foreign.

It deserved a scoff from Ryo. Edo whipped his head back towards Ryo, flashing him a smirk.

The break was over. Ryo took his seat at one of the tables for two before a pencil and a scoresheet, and one side of a chessboard. He was playing white.

Once more, he returned to seeing how far he could go in an unfamiliar world -- where he was surrounded by strange faces; where he might one day become strange to himself, in a good way.

*

On Ryo's way out of the hall, one of the mothers he had taken a picture with pulled him aside.

"You know Edo Phoenix? My son said he was just here! Watching the match!"

"I haven't even heard of him," Ryo lied.

He left her mumbling about wishing she had also posed for a selfie with him. Earlier, Ryo heard similar murmurings about an Edo Phoenix sighting among the staff of the competition, and some speculating that Edo was going to take a break from Duel Monsters to take the world of chess by storm. Just like he had done in the world of winter sports, swerving first to the finish line and snatching up golden trophies by the armload but ultimately remaining faithful to his D-Heroes deck, depriving everyone of a once in a generation talent.

If Ryo was the type to laugh out loud, he would.

When the chess competition reached its prize giving ceremony, Edo hadn't stayed to watch Ryo be handed a certificate and an envelope containing a small prize for coming in third. These winnings he stashed in the briefcase he brought along with him. After exiting the building, he crossed the road to enter another one, where according to Edo's last text he'd be waiting in the department store.

Its name and logo was the same one printed on a banner displayed at the site of the chess competition, as well as on the shopping vouchers in the envelope Ryo had won. Perhaps he'd use them to get something for his parents or Sho.

Inside, Edo was waiting at the men's corner beside a rack of neckties. He took off the pair of black rectangular glasses off his nose as Ryo approached.

"Ryo, it's me," he said, slipping the glasses into the pocket of his blazer.

"What," Ryo said. "You think I won't recognise you with those ridiculous glasses on?"

"You didn't seem to at the chess competition. About that, I'd suggest you stick to Duel Monsters."

"I came in third."

"I know." Edo smirked. "And you're satisfied with that?"

"I'm not dissatisfied," Ryo replied.

He supposed he did well for getting as far as he went even in a small scale competition. Chess players could match duelists in being cutthroat about their game, and Ryo was just a casual. His chess rating, even after his wins in online and in person matches, were nothing to write home about. Then again, he had put in the work to train for the day's matches, playing on the web while taking a break from working on his deck and burying himself in books on chess theory.

Before him, Edo folded his arms. He was staring at Ryo with his large eyes narrowed.

"You seem pissed off," Ryo observed.

"Me? No, not at all."

"I bet you'd rather spend your morning doing something else."

Edo shook his head. "It was time well spent on testing out looks and mannerisms to mask my identity. When I've hit on a foolproof method, I could even blend in among the audience for your duels."

"Yeah, right," Ryo said. "You thought you could fool anyone just from adding glasses and substracting the tie from your signature look?"

Edo smiled. "That worked for Superman. Heroes have their ways to have some fun off-duty fun, you know."

"You should stick to wearing the same things over and over again."

With a laugh, Edo let his arms fall to his sides. "I should really switch my look up, just so you won't get bored looking at me."

He turned to the department store's selection of neckties. Even with his talk of switching up his look, he stopped in front of a laid out strip of white tie, ignoring those of other colours. Outside of his consistent delivery of unpredictable counters to his dueling opponents, he was through and through a creature of habit.

Ryo walked around to the other side of the rack of accessories meant to be worn around the necks of men.

"I think you'll like this," he said.

"Hmm?"

Once Edo went over to him, Ryo took from the rack his item of choice. He held it out towards Edo.

"It's an ascot," Edo pointed out.

"I know," Ryo replied.

Thanks to Fubuki's extensive clothing collection and his breakdowns of his outfits whenever they were out of uniform, which Ryo had listened to despite what his best friend thought, Ryo had learnt to identify the fancier types of neckties.

"It's blue," Edo said, as if describing the ascot to a man who was colour blind.

"I know," Ryo repeated. "It's a change from your signature colours and good for disguising yourself. I'd get it for you if I could actually see you wearing it."

Edo tilted his head to one side, squinting at the ascot like it bore a bizarre pattern that he wouldn't be caught dead wearing. When in fact Ryo had picked one of a solid indigo with no pattern, yet it managed to raise Edo's hackles all the same.

"Tell you what," Edo said.

He scanned his surroundings and grabbed Ryo by the wrist. Then Ryo was dragged off to the changing room, shoved behind a door that Edo locked behind them.

"What," Ryo said, letting the briefcase in his hand fall by his feet. "You want to make out here?"

"Later."

Edo smirked. After a quick glance at their reflection in the mirror beside them, he flicked his eyes back at Ryo.

"But first, a deal," Edo said. "I'd let you get me the ascot and have me wear it only if you can put it on me."

He raised Ryo's arm and pulled at the blue cloth held between Ryo's palms and fingers. It was soon draped around his neck, against his nape and behind the back of his collar. His demonstration began with deft turns, twists and pulls of his fingers until the ascot covered his neck as an elegant and layered covering.

With a single efficient tug, he got the strip of cloth loose once more.

"Here," he said, holding it out to Ryo. "I hope you didn't miss a single step."

"I didn't."

Ryo straightened out the ascot, then put it back around Edo's neck. Lifting one end, he rubbed the cloth's smooth texture between his fingertips.

"What are you waiting for?" Edo asked.

His little smirk was back. The one that spelled his readiness to see Ryo mess up. The one that declared his authority to be the only person to mess Ryo up, in ways big and small.

Ryo let him think he was stalling. Let him think he had to have others break down tasks for him into manageable steps to learn anything new, that he was not the kind of genius who could just watch and learn.

"Just thinking that you've been waiting a while for your kiss," he said.

He pressed his lips to the side of Edo's throat. Once he withdrew his mouth, he covered up the ghostly imprint of the kiss he had left. His hands mirrored the earlier movements of Edo's hands, crossing the longer end of the ascot over the shorter one and under. He brushed the cloth against the front of Edo's neck, pushing it up through the back of the knot he created and down.

The rest of the ascot was tucked into Edo's shirt, done as Ryo lifted the part of Edo's shirt below his collar and without touching Edo's chest at all.

"All done," he said and took his hands off Edo.

Edo was looking at him with lips pressed together as if holding back what he had to say. Turning to the mirror, he adjusted his collar and examined Ryo's handiwork.

"Not bad," Edo said.

"You look not bad too."

For Ryo's compliment, he got from Edo what could count as a scoff or a half-hearted chuckle. If Edo thought 'not bad' was good enough for him, it ought to be the same for Edo himself.

While still looking into the mirror, Edo stroked the front of the ascot.

"In my early years, I tried on every sort of menswear and accessory," he said. "I discarded whatever is too fancy or distracting even if it suits me, and that's how I perfected my signature look."

"Your costume," Ryo said.

"That's right. It's the result of lots of thought put into how I want others to look and think of me. Just for you, I'll change it up."

"You can tell me," Edo continued, slipping his fingers between his neck and the ascot to pull the latter off. "Do you think I look bad in glasses?"

"Not in the ones you were wearing."

"So you think there's a pair that could make me look bad."

Ryo said nothing. Edo was just trying to bait him into saying that he was the most gorgeous boy in the world and that it'd be impossible for Edo to appear ugly in anything in Ryo's eyes. If Ryo did rise to the bait, Edo would laugh at him, but only in place of laughing at himself for wanting Ryo's admiration.

Without anything else to do in the small space they shared, Edo put his hands to work again, manipulating and retying the ascot. Using a different method from his earlier one, perhaps reviewing an old skill for the heck of it. When he was done, he pinched the sides of the ascot's front to straighten out the creases.

"I really don't think blue's my colour," he said.

"I can tie it like that, if you'd let me put it on you."

Standing right behind Edo, Ryo put his arms around him. Just as Edo was craning to look over his shoulder, Ryo undid the ascot, grazing the back of his fingers over Edo's throat and the bump of Edo's Adam's apple. In the mirror's reflection, he observed the colour rise to Edo's cheeks.

"You're still going on about that?" Edo said.

"It's your deal," Ryo replied.

He was less confident about pulling off the second knot. In his head, he tried to review what Edo had done with his hands. He crossed and uncrossed both ends of the cloth around Edo's neck, fumbling towards the correct step that would unlock the entire solution. Edo leaned back against him, brushing the strands of his hair over Ryo's cheek.

"That's enough," Edo said. "You've exhausted the limits of your brain power in front of the chessboard and trying to get out of that final resign."

"I'll get it, you'll see."

Ignoring Edo's insistence that he won't, Ryo persisted. His excellent memory had never failed him before, and it didn't fail him in unfurling a clear picture in his head of the crucial step he had missed.

The front end had to be shorter than the back. Unlike with a tie, he had to bring the back end under the band around Edo's neck and lay it on top of the front. A fancy knot for a fancy boy. Once finished, Ryo patted the puff of blue and tucked the entire band under Edo's collar.

"You got it," Edo said. "I could get used to this, you dressing me up instead of stripping me down."

"You sure about that?"

Lowering his hands down Edo's chest, Ryo undid two of Edo's shirt buttons.

"Ryo..."

As Edo started to turn to face him, Ryo stilled his hands, hugging Edo tight. He put his nose to the skin of Edo's neck, breathing in the scent of Edo's cologne and the lavender soap he liked to use.

"I liked looking at you today," Ryo said.

"What's this all about?" Edo asked.

"Just thought you wanted to hear that. I didn't think you were interested to watch me play chess but you showed up and even provided me with extra entertainment."

Edo chuckled. "Watching your duels is a lot more interesting."

Turning his head, he held the side of Ryo's face as he pressed their lips together. For a proper kiss, Ryo loosened his hold and slid his hands down to Edo's hips when they were face to face.

But instead of leaning in again, Edo said, "Even if you go to the ends of the earth, I'll follow you."

"You would?"

"Just to entertain you, and entertain myself seeing a different side of you."

Ryo was the only person Edo would entertain, and vice versa. Before Edo caught him smiling, Ryo gave him another kiss. When their lips were a hair breadth's apart, his heart seemed to tremble on noticing the sweet flutter of Edo's lashes as Edo shut his eyes. Ryo kept his open for a little longer, drinking in with eyes and mouth every trace of Edo's sweetness.

*

The indigo ascot was going around Ryo's neck.

Though he and Edo had places to be, Edo refused to let Ryo get up from his couch until he was done with him. Straddling Ryo's thighs on his knees, he had Ryo trapped with the excuse that he wanted to tie the ascot using the fancy knot. The modified four in hand, it was called.

Most of the morning had been lost to Edo getting Ryo to take off his black turtleneck and exchanging it with a grey button-down shirt. Done with having Ryo succumb to his cajoling and flirting, Edo took up manhandling Ryo to complete the vision he had for him.

"You should be the one wearing the ascot," Ryo said.

"Another day," Edo said, tucking one end of the blue cloth under Ryo's neck. "I'll only wear it as part of a disguise. For today, I have to be myself from morning to night."

"Whenever you're ready, you can stop being a pushy and stubborn little shit."

"Hush, you. Don't ruin the effect."

Edo stole a quick kiss as he tightened the knot of the ascot as he would with a necktie. Leaning back, he rested his hands on Ryo's shoulders and nodded in self-satisfied approval.

"As I thought, the ascot covers up your neck scars better than a tie would," Edo said. "You're going to blow away whoever you're going to meet."

"Whatever. I'm going to tip you over if we don't get going right now."

Edo's smirk dared Ryo to do so and risk the consequences. Still, he relented and set one leg down on the floor, all set to get off the couch and allow Ryo to do the same. There was no need for Ryo to get a quick glance at his reflection in the washroom's mirror, for he picked up from the squeeze of Edo's hand around his shoulder and the darting of Edo's eyes back to his lips, that he would emerge into broad daylight as a sight for sore eyes.