#slackerofthereddorm

Some would say that it doesn’t matter how prepared you think you are for parenthood; it’s never going to be enough. Your child isn’t something you understand through reading or research. Really, you’ve got to learn through experience and trial and error.

 Of course, it also helps when your partner has way more brains on the matter than you do.

 “Jack, what the hell do you think you’re doing?!” The former King raised an eyebrow at his wife, as he felt what he was doing was self-explanatory.

 “I was teaching our son how to drive a D-Wheel.” Carly shook her head, still fuming at Jack’s actions.

 “Jack, he’s one year old! He doesn’t even know how to talk yet, let alone drive a D-Wheel!” At that, Jack felt offended. This was his son, his prince. The blood of a king flowed through his veins!

 “Carly, he came from me. He knows how to drive no matter the age.” Turning back to his son, still sitting on the child sized D-Wheel, he was about to show him how to turn it on when Carly came over and abruptly took him away.

 “Jack Atlas, our son will decide for himself if he wants to learn to drive a D-Wheel.” Jack immediately opened his mouth in protest. “Don’t you dare mister! It’s his decision, not yours.” With that, she left Jack in the garage with their son in her arms.

 Lesson one: Let your kid decide for themselves.

 Lesson two: Don’t cross your wife.

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Jack never thought he’d be excited to go shopping again, not since Goodwin had given him all that money and let him do whatever he wanted with it. But right now, here he was shopping for his son’s first bike. Well, first training bike anyway.

 The little one had expressed an interest in wanting to ride like his friends, and his dad (much to Jack’s enormous pride). So while Jack was ready with the mini D-Wheel again, Carly had shut that plan down. Again. But she made a good point, as their son should learn to basics before he gets to the big leagues.

 That, and Jack did not want to make her mad again.

 Still, he found himself frowning at the selection they had available. His son was a prince dammit and he deserved the best. He deserved a bike that screamed of royalty, of power, of wealth. None of these bikes were deserving of it.

 But he wasn’t going to give up that easily, and he kept checking the selection. Who knows how much time passed before at last, he found what he was looking for.

 Seeing his son ride around in his new bike, laughing and cheering in joy, made a proud smile cross the former King’s face.

 Well, that and…

 “You had to get him a mini Wheel of Fortune didn’t you Jack?” Carly may have groaned internally at her husband’s choice, but their son was happy and that was all that mattered.

 “Yes. Yes I did.”

 Lesson three: Making your kid happy is the best feeling in the world.

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“Aw man, you win again Dad.” Jack chuckled, picking up his cards and shuffling them back together into his deck. Now that his son had learnt how to drive, it was time to learn how to duel. Then a riding duel, but first he needed to perfect a regular duel.

 “You’ll get it someday my prince. You’ve got the blood of the King in you. You’ll be as great as I am.” His son’s frown stayed however, and Jack grew worried. That usually perked his son right up. He reached out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

 “I keep getting told that you were the greatest Dad, and I can’t even win one game against you. How am I supposed to match up to you if I don’t even come close?” Ah, so that was the problem. Jack pulled his son into a hug, patting his back reassuringly.

 “You will never be me my son, you just have to be you. Be the King in your own way, not my way.”

 “But what is my way Dad?” Jack pulled back, sitting back down and gesturing for his son to do the same.

 “I think it’s time I told you how I became King.”

 Jack told him everything, from stealing Stardust and the first D-Wheel they made, to running to Neo Domino and basically selling himself out to become rich and famous. To become the King he wanted to be. His son listened with wide eyes, and Jack couldn’t blame him. He could admit that what he did was wrong.

 “But do you understand now son? You can’t take my path, because it’s the path of a traitor. You must take your own way.” The young man nodded, shuffling his cards back together.

 “Thanks Dad.”

 Lesson four: Be honest with your kid.

 Lesson five: Hugs help.

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“You’ve got this son. You made it all this way, now you’re going to win. And why is that?” His son smirked, fist pressed against his heart like his father.

 “Because I’m a King.” Jack smirked back, ruffling his hair. His son laughed, swatting his father’s hand away. His mother came next, pulling him into a tight hug.

 “Be careful sweetie. Please don’t be an overblown idiot like your father.” Jack immediately protested as their son laughed, pulling back from his mother and pulling his helmet on. He checked everything over one last time, but he shook from anxiety all the while. Jack noticed this, and put a calming hand on his shoulder.

 “Son, it’s okay if you don’t win. You’ll have other chances.” His son nodded, but didn’t seem reassured. So, Jack brought what he knew would be a sure thing, passing it to his son.

 A familiar white card.

 “Red Dragon Archfiend? That’s your card Dad! It’s your soul, you can’t just give it to me!” But Jack shook his head.

 “Use it, because even if you lose, you’re a King to me and you deserve it.” The young man nodded, sliding the card into his extra deck then hugging his father tightly.

 A few minutes later, the world watched in awe as the familiar monster roared out onto the field. With it, a new chant spread through the audience like wildfire.

 “The King Reborn! The King Reborn! The King Reborn!”

 Jack found himself grinning as he watched his son duel while the chant roared as loud as the Red Dragon Archfiend.

 “Long live the King.”

 Lesson six: Your kid will grow into their own, but you can still give them a nudge along the way.

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“Red Dragon Archfiend! Direct attack with Absolute Power Force.” The mighty beast roared as its claw surged with power, rushing forward and delivering it at the target.

 Jack smiled as he saw his old monster approaching. His son had finally done it.

 He had beaten his old man.

 The blast came and Jack’s D-Wheel spun from the impact, but he regained control, pulling to a stop at the finish line. He shut his bike off, and stood up as his son pulled to a stop next to him.

 The new King stood up and hugged the old King tightly.

 “Well done son.”

 Lesson seven: Your kid is going to best you eventually, and you’ll be so proud of them when that happens.

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When people thought of Chazz Princeton, they probably thought of the great duelist who bested everyone at North Academy. They may have thought of the legendary rivalry he has with the infamous Slifer Slacker. They thought of wealth, power, fame, and success.

 What they did not think of was the image of the mighty Chazz Princeton freezing his lily-white ass off in a probably abandoned cabin in a fucking mountain somewhere.

 Long story short, as Chazz will never tell the full story, he had been here on vacation, a decision he now regretted in hindsight, and had decided to go for a walk. Again, something he regretted in hindsight.

 He had gone out in less than ideal winter protection, and had gotten himself lost to boot. With the winds picking up and the temperature dropping to fatal levels, Chazz had to move fast. In the end, he had found this cabin and simply burst inside, not caring what the owner had to say at the time.

 Of course, then he found the owner wasn’t there. The cabin was lived in, but hadn’t been for a while. A few months if he had to guess. There was still some dried food there, a few pieces of sturdier winter clothing than what he had on, even a warm looking bed. He had no idea who the owner was, or if they planned on coming back, but he was too cold to care right now. Bundling himself up in the winter gear, he had tried to keep himself warm since then.

 Which wasn’t working out too well.

 The cabin wasn’t very warm, and there must have been a draft somewhere in it. Chazz couldn’t stop shaking, his clattering teeth practically echoed through the cabin. He was curled up in the bed, the blankets wrapped tightly around him, but he was still so cold.

 He suddenly had the very frightening realization that it was only going to get colder when night came.

 He could die here.

 The sudden sound of the door opening jerked him out of his thoughts, and he sat up in wonder at what happened. Had the wind blown the door open? Had someone found this cabin like he did?

 From the sound of footsteps, he was right on the second one. He reluctantly left the bed, blankets still wrapped around him, as he went to go see who it was.

 Oh. Oh no fucking way.

 “Jaden?!” The familiar brunette looked over at hearing his name being called, curiosity quickly replaced with his trademark grin.

 “Chazz! Wow what a surprise! What are you doing here?” Jaden seemed just like his old self, and Chazz remembered those days when he was dark and cynical. He could admit to himself that was worried about the slacker then.

 Shaking his thoughts away, he also remembered that Jaden was waiting for a response.

 “I could ask you the same thing slacker.” Jaden just kept grinning, actually taking off his coat and hanging it up. How the hell was he not cold?

 “Well, I live here. Sort of. It’s just a place I can come back to when I’m in the area and need a place to stay.” Right, Jaden was a traveler. It would make sense that he’d find reliable places to stay at when he was there.

 “So this cabin is yours then.” Jaden nodded, his grin now turning sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck.

 “Well, yes and no. It’s mine in the sense that I crash here and have some stuff here, but I don’t own the place. I found it abandoned, so I have no idea who actually owns it. But it’s pretty cool right?”

 Cool indeed. Though not particularly big, the cabin was spacious enough. Jaden might even be able to hold a party in here, though who in their right mind would come here for that? The silence was broken again by the sound of Chazz’s teeth chattering, again. Jaden quickly grabbed his jacket and rushed over, draping it around Chazz. Much to his chagrin, this was working better than his previous attempts at staying warm.

 “Jeez, you must be cold.” Jaden pulled a matchbook from his pocket, snapping one free and using it to light the fireplace. Chazz moved into a nearby chair, scooting closer to the flame immediately. Jaden smiled, electing not to tease him about his actions. Chazz would probably just turn away from the fire anyway and go sulk in the corner and freeze.

 What an idiot.

 Still, he’d need to focus on helping Chazz keep warm. He left the still shivering man for a moment while he headed to the closet. Sure enough, most of the winter gear he had stored here was gone and probably being worn by Chazz. No wonder it wasn’t doing him much good.

 Jaden wasn’t bothered much by the cold himself, even before his fusion with Yubel. As a result, he never needed to dress warmly. So all that winter gear he had here was really more like spring gear to someone else. Light jackets and the like. Chazz may have been wearing a lot of layers, but it probably wasn’t helping him much. Retrieving some extra blankets from the shelf up top in the closet, he brought them back to his rival and draped them around him. By the time he was done, Chazz had at least mostly stopped shivering, but mostly wasn’t entirely.

 Sparing a look outside, Jaden saw the winds were really picking up now. Things would only get worse weather wise now. He could handle it, but he wasn’t sure Chazz could. Plus, he was all out of things to warm him up with.

 Wait, not everything.

 Chazz was grateful for everything Jaden was doing for him, not that he’d ever let him know that. They were rivals, not friends. Jaden was just doing this to keep his rival from being a popsicle.

 Finding himself with a lapful of Jaden though was something he was pretty sure was not there to make sure he wasn’t frozen.

 “What are you doing slacker?!” His surprise was understandable, as it wasn’t everyday one found themselves with their rival in their laps. Jaden wasn’t at all bothered by it though, instead moving the blankets around until they were both snuggly wrapped up in them.

 “You’re still cold, and it’s only going to get colder. Understand where I’m going with this Chazz?” Now Chazz understood. It was sharing body heat. He’d blame his confusion on potentially dying later. Jaden soon nestled himself against Chazz, his head resting against his shoulder. Chazz tried to keep the blankets around them while the two talked about all the things they had been up to since they left the Academy.

 Eventually, midway through a story about a business trip gone hilariously wrong, Chazz discovered that Jaden was sound asleep. He wanted to berate him for it, but he was feeling tired himself. The fire was too alluring to leave, and for once, he didn’t want to wake Jaden up. So using him as a pillow like the slacker did with his shoulder, he rested his head in the mass of Jaden’s thick, two-toned hair.

Being a superhero, Yusei quickly learned, was no easy task. Juggling one’s civilian life along with a secret identity could prove very tiring. Add schooling to that mix and it’s a wonder how he managed it this long. Tikki helped where she could, but the kwami’s advice could only do so much.

 Plus there was that mad crush he had on Jaden. Yeah that was a great thing to have.

 He knew he liked Jaden. He knew he liked him a lot. But being a superhero put a lot of dents in any future they could have had. He didn’t want to let Jaden know that he was the Miraculous Ladybug. Jaden could get hurt, or would be used as leverage against him. The second one had already happened, though admittedly it was an illusion.

 He came very close to losing the brunette that day. It just solidified his decision not to tell Jaden who he really was.

 Of course, someone he wouldn’t mind hurting was his fellow crime-fighter and colossal pain, Cat Noir.

 “Why mon cheri, you look so serious. What ever is on your mind? Is it me by chance?” Yusei rolled his eyes.

 Speak of the devil. Well he was right, just not in the way he wanted.

 “No flirting tonight Cat. I’m not in the mood.” But the leather clad hero just grinned and looked at the moon.

 “Well it is almost midnight. I can wait a few minutes to remind you of your beauty.” Yusei stiffened, pulling out his phone and checking the time. Cat was right, it was almost midnight. He had to get home!

 “Some other time Cat.” He readied his yo-yo to hook-shot his way home when he found a familiar black belt/tail wrapped around his waist.

 “Hey now, there’s no rush to go.” Jaden knew he was playing a dangerous game. For one, Ladybug was as strong as he was. For two, he had to get home himself. He needed all the sleep he could get to put up with his father’s scheduling.

 But he also knew that he had to take these chances. He was smitten with Ladybug, the little minx. But still, his bugaboo had resisted every flirt he made. This was becoming a very long game. Good thing he likes games.

 “Cat, let go of me.” Ladybug’s tone was dead serious, and the glare he was sporting would have made anyone reconsider their advances on him. But despite being bad luck personified, Jaden was feeling very lucky tonight.

 He worked his tail and abruptly pulled Ladybug close, grinning at the blush that covered his cheeks.

 “Come now mon couer, we still have time. Time enough for young lovers to be together.” Yusei’s blush grew stronger, and he wished his mask covered more of his face. Cat smirked and dipped him suddenly, wrapping his arms around Yusei’s waist.

 “In the moonlight, you positively glow. Like a purr-fect angel, mon ange.” Yusei groaned, slapping a hand to Cat’s mouth.

 “That was terrible. Even for you.” Cat’s smirk widened and he kissed Yusei’s palm, making the other yank his hand back.

 “Then you must let me get more practice. Speaking of, I am so terrible at kissing. Care to help?” He puckered his lips, making kissing sounds. Yusei just put both his hands on Cat’s face and tried to push him away.

 “Enough Cat.” While the leather clad superhero laughed and tried to kiss him again. Yusei looked around for something he could use to escape. Without hurting Cat anyway.

 Then he saw what he was standing on. An evil smirk crossed his face, which he quickly hid. He changed his expression to one of pure desire, he’d need it for this. He moved his hands to Cat’s cheeks, cupping them gently.

 “Ohhh Caaaaat.” He melodiously sang, gaining the other’s attention instantly. Cat quickly sported his own blush at this sudden change. “If you want to kiss me, you’ll have to do it right.” Cat’s ears perked up, and he quickly returned to his usual cocky self.

 “Do it right huh? Whatever do you mean my bugaboo?” Yusei grinned, and it set Cat’s heart racing.

 “Think about where we are mon minou, then think about what kind of kiss I want.” Cat paused, the gears in his mind turning. Well they were in France, so he wanted…oh.

 Oh wow. His bugaboo was even more of a minx than he thought!

 Smirking, he absolutely purred at the idea of such a kiss.

 “As you wish my Ladybug.” He began his descent unto Ladybug’s lips, only for him to stop him and tsk at him.

 “Ah ah ah. You stay up there. I’ll be kissing you. After all, you need practice.” An even more wonderful prospect! Cat obliged, leaning back up and keeping his mouth open enough for the kiss.

 Yusei had other plans. Grabbing some dirt from the ground they were standing on, he abruptly shoved it into Cat’s mouth.

 “MMPH?!” The superhero started spitting out the dirt, sticking out his tongue and running his fingers along it to try and brush the lingering foul taste off.

 “Not cool Ladybug! Not-“ He cut himself off when he turned to glare at him, only to find he was no longer there. He sighed, grinning despite his failure.

Yusei knew it was bad news when Jaden hadn’t come back to their hangout that night. That terrible feeling in his heart had kept him awake all night. When morning came and Jaden still hadn’t come back, he went out looking for him.

 He almost wished he hadn’t, given what he found. A familiar red jacket, always worn by the smiling brunette. He knew even without seeing the blood trail that his friend was gone. He took the jacket back home and crawled back into his bed. He clutched it close as he wept silently.

 He knew why that memory had come to surface now. Why that pain had returned, even as he stared in shock at the grinning boy before him. He was both elated and terrified to see him. Those once lively brown eyes that had drawn him, now black with a gold centre.

 “Why so surprised Yusei? Who better to stop you anyway?” The Signer shook the shock away, knowing he had to focus. He crossed his arms over his chest, the red jacket’s sleeves standing out against his usual shirt.

 “I’m not fighting you Jaden, Dark Signer or not.” The brunette laughed, a cold and mocking sound. He remembered thinking he’d give anything to hear that wonderful laugh again. This was just pouring more salt in his wounds.

 “Like you have a choice. Like any of us do. I got brought back to stop you and your friends and that is exactly what I will do.” He raised his left arm and his duel disk activated. Yusei’s eyes narrowed but he made no move to activate his own. Jaden just smirked and drew regardless.

 “Giving up before we begin? Oh they were right about you. You couldn’t stand to hurt me.” At that, Yusei’s stare hardened and quicker than Jaden could blink, Yusei had his duel disk ready and his hand drawn.

 “You’re not my Jaden. So you I’ll fight, and him I’ll save.” Jaden laughed again, and the match of their lives was on.

 “So this fancy mark means you’re supposed to save the world now?” Yusei had just finished explaining his new mark to Jaden and the brunette was naturally curious. The two were just sitting on Yusei’s couch when the mark had flared up. Yusei hadn’t planned to tell Jaden, hoping to keep him out of it.

 He couldn’t stand the idea of Jaden being hurt.

 “In short, yeah. I don’t know why I was chosen, but I was. According to Goodwin, I’m supposed to work with the other Signers and help resurrect the Crimson Dragon. Only outside of myself and Jack, I don’t know any others.” Jaden sat back, humming thoughtfully as Yusei looked at the mark emblazoned upon his arm.

 “Well, I could end up being one for all we know. Heh, I probably should have gotten yours anyway.” Yusei looked back at his friend, wondering why this could be funny.

 “Why?” Jaden smirked and patted his deck.

 “I’m the one who uses HEROs after all. You’d think this dragon would know who to pick.” Yusei chuckled, leaning back with Jaden and wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

 “That’s okay. You’re my hero and that isn’t changing.” Jaden laughed, punching Yusei for such a corny remark.

 Yusei let out a yelp of pain as Infernal Sniper’s effect blast hit him. Jaden’s sinister laugh rang through him as the smoke cleared.

 “So much for the Shooting Star of Satellite! He’s about to make a very deadly drop. So let’s increase his speed shall we? I set two cards and end my turn.” Yusei growled, drawing his next card quickly.

 “I activate my trap card, Final Attack Orders! This makes all our face-up monsters shift to attack position, and their positions cannot be changed. Now I attack Infernal Sniper with Junk Warrior! Scrap Fist!” The metal monster charged towards the Evil HERO and quickly destroyed it. Jaden glared at Yusei as his monster was destroyed and his life points were reduced. “I set one card and end my turn.”

 It was bad enough to face Jaden, it was worse to see him use those cards. The ones he hated.

 “Evil HERO? That’s not much of a hero then right?” Yusei looked away from the display glass to see the scowling face of his friend. Jaden rarely did that, if at all.

 “No. That’s no hero at all.” He pulled up his own deck, running his thumb over the front card, Neos. “These are heroes. Those ones…no.”

 Yusei put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

 “I’m sorry.”

 Jaden said nothing.

 “I summon Elemental HERO Wildheart in defense mode. As he is unaffected by trap cards, your orders don’t affect him. I set one card and end my turn.” Yusei drew his next card, placing it into his hand.

 “I Summon Junk Synchron to the field!” On cue, the little monster clad in junk appeared. “I use his effect to bring back my Speed Warrior.” The masked monster returned to the field. “Then I use Quillbolt Hedgehog’s ability, letting me bring him back as well.” Finally, the little animal arrived on scene. “I tune my Junk Synchron with my Speed Warrior and my Quillbolt Hedgehog!” The monsters broke down into stars and the Synchro Summon process began. Yusei repeated the chant he had for Junk Warrior.

 “Synchro Summon! Junk Archer!” The metal warrior landed down on the field, his bow at the ready. “Junk Warrior’s effect activates, banishing your monster for this turn. Dimension Arrow!” Junk Archer launched an arrow at Wildheart, banishing it. “Now I attack with Junk Warrior and Junk Archer and end this duel.”

 He wanted this duel done fast, but Jaden had other plans.

 “Trap card activate! Mirror Force!” Yusei’s eyes widened, he knew what was coming. A barrier sprang up and protected Jaden, but his monster’s charged right into it. The barrier reflected their attack and they were destroyed. He removed them from his disk, placing them in the graveyard.

 “I activate my facedown, Call of the Haunted! I bring back my Junk Archer, and end my turn.” Jaden smirked and drew his next card.

 “Aaaand this round goes to Jaden Yuki! And the crowd goes wild!” He made cheering sounds as Yusei chuckled. The two had just finished a practice duel, with Jaden narrowly seizing victory. Well, saying that made his pride feel better anyway.

 “Well played Jaden.” The brunette grinned and stood up.

 “That’s mister King of Riding Duels now Yusei. I beat you, I get your title.” Yusei laughed, cleaning up his cards.

 “You have to beat me in a riding duel for that Jaden.” Jaden scoffed playfully, heading over to the fridge.

 “Those duels are overrated. At least with a standing duel I don’t need to stop my ten thousand miles an hour bike to get a drink.” Yusei shook his head, smiling all the while.

 “We do not drive at ten thousand miles an hour Jaden. We’d be a gooey mess if we did that.” Jaden came back with his drink, along with a glass of milk for the mechanic. He looked down at him with a soft smile.

 “Can’t have that. You’re not allowed to die on me.”

 “I tribute Avian, Sparkman, and Wildman to summon my Earthbound Immortal, Ccapac Apu!” The ground shook like an earthquake as the enormous monster burst from it. “Thanks to Skyscraper, he stays in play. And he can attack directly!” The immortal’s fist raised high and was quickly launched toward Yusei. The Signer pulled a card from his hand and held it up.

 “I activate Battle Fader’s ability! Your battle phase is ended!” The monster was summoned to the field and the immortal’s attack was ended. Jaden just chuckled, shaking his head.

 “It doesn’t matter Yusei. Next turn you’re mine.” Yusei closed his eyes as he put his fingers on his next card. He hoped that it would help, that with it he could end this. He wanted Jaden, his Jaden, back.

They were standing close, too close. Too close to be just friends. It wouldn’t take much effort to capture his lips, to remove that damned wall between them forever. But hesitation and fear gripped his heart. He remained unmoving, watching as the brunette’s blush got redder and redder with each second.

“Yusei…” It was barely whispered, but he heard it clearly. His body was screaming at him to act, but no response came. He just continued staring into those beautiful brown eyes. He’d forgotten how many times he’d become lost in them.

But Jaden moved, he stepped back and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. He was nervous…no, he was afraid.

“We can’t…right?” Yusei found a sigh leaving him, his body suddenly feeling very heavy.

“Jaden.” But the brunette had stepped forward and put a finger on his lips. It was soft, so achingly soft.

“Someday I’ll be yours Yusei.” The mechanic smiled, speaking against the finger.

“Likewise Jaden.”

 He drew his next card, sighed, and played it.

 “Mystical Space Typhoon!” Jaden’s eyes widened in fear. “I destroy Skyscraper, and with it, Ccapac Apu!” The buildings were torn down and the giant immortal fell with them.

 “I play Monster Reborn, and bring back my Junk Warrior!” The metal warrior returned, and with it came Jaden’s defeat.

 “Junk Warrior and Junk Archer! Attack directly with Scrap Fist and Scrap Arrow!” The two Synchro monsters attacked, bringing the rest of Jaden’s life points to zero. The brunette swayed on his feet, falling forward before being caught by Yusei. He tilted Jaden’s chin up and was saddened to see tears in his eyes.

 “Gotta be the hero right Yusei? Go save the world, save it from the bad guys.” He chuckled dryly, feeling his life ebb away.

 “You are not a bad guy Jaden. I swear I’ll find some way to bring you back.” Jaden just smiled, putting a hand gently on Yusei’s cheek.

 “You’re my hero though. Always have been, always will be.” Yusei leaned into the warmth of Jaden’s hand, blinking back tears himself.

 “Jaden…” The Dark Signer wiped a stray tear away from the mechanic’s face.

 “Hey now, my Yusei doesn’t cry.” Despite himself, Yusei felt a short laugh escape him.

 “Yours?” The brunette nodded. “Mine.” He put his other hand on Yusei’s shoulder. “Am I yours?”

 “Always.” And the two leaned in, sharing their first and last kiss together. They poured every ounce of their hearts into it, wanting it to last forever. Eventually, they parted, just enough to disconnect their lips.

Yusei always took the logical route to analyzing and understanding something, and it always worked for him. He could even use it to understand the bad things that had happened to him in life. He understood why his parents sent him away, why Jack took their first D-Wheel and his Stardust Dragon, why Aporia and Zone had tried to change their future.

 This logical view had helped him with every issue he had encountered thus far. In fact, Yusei was sure it would help him understand anything that came his way.

 Then he met Jaden Yuki.

 Their time-traveling adventure against Paradox lingered in his memories. He found it hard to believe that someone could be so energetic and joyful when the fate of the world was on the line. What surprised him even further was the King of Games himself having a good time during the fight.

 In short, it had seemed so bizarre to him. But it had worked for them, and he hadn’t given it much questioning. Still, they made their farewells and Yusei took Jaden back to his era. The former student had still been all grins and laughs, but it had made Yusei smile. It was a nice change from the seriousness he was usually surrounded with. He had smiled, given him his trademark “Gotcha!” and was off. But to his own surprise, Yusei had watched him go, his eyes following Jaden until he had completely vanished. He didn’t know why he had done it, or what it had meant.

 Or what the sudden, strange beating of his heart meant during his one-sided staring contest.

 Still, that had been months ago now. It hadn’t happened again, so he hadn’t given it much thought at the time. But perhaps something wanted him to, as a couple weeks after their fight with Paradox, Jaden showed up. All he recalls is an abrupt red light and a loud roar, and then he was there in Neo Domino.

 The former Slifer Red had been with them ever since, and no one was really complaining. He had been friendly and helpful, often cooking actual food for the team, which they were definitely appreciative of. There were no issues at all with Jaden’s presence it seemed.

 Well, except for Yusei.

 The mechanic had been grateful to see his friend again, and the two were quickly deemed inseparable. Jaden was always trying to get him to be more social and to smile more, and he was succeeding. But all this may have had an unintended side effect.

 His heart was doing that strange beating again, and it was becoming common enough that he could pinpoint its source. As luck would have it, that source was Jaden himself. That was strange, but Yusei decided it was no cause for alarm.

 His outings with Jaden were though. Usually Jaden would try to drag him and all his friends along on something, and most of the time they obliged, the brunette’s energy being very infectious. Even for Jack, surprising as that was. But on the times where they couldn’t, Jaden always got Yusei to come with him, leading to it being just the two of them.

 Yusei wasn’t sure what to make of these, as his heart seemed so loud in his chest when it was just him and Jaden. He found himself wanting to lace their fingers together, prolonging hugs to an awkward level, and looking at Jaden longer than he should. He found himself appreciating the brunette’s figure, noticing things he was sure he shouldn’t. Not the things a friend should notice anyway.

 These thoughts had plagued Yusei for some time now, and he still hadn’t found a logical explanation for them. His method had failed him, and he wasn’t sure why. The worst part was these thoughts were becoming a distraction for him. His repairs were taking longer than they should have, and even routine work on his D-Wheel was taking longer.

 Yet he seemed especially attuned to whatever Jaden was doing, as if his brain only wanted to focus on the brunette. Right now, he was bidding Crow goodbye as he went on his daily deliveries. Jaden shut the door and headed over to Yusei, going to give his usual offer of help and company. Yusei’s distracted state however caused him to slip up and injure himself. It wasn’t bad, just a minor cut, but it was a fitting reminder that he needed to let these thoughts quit distracting him.

 “Well at least it’s not too bad. Want me to kiss it better Yusei?” The brunette grinned, expecting his friend to get a laugh out of it. Instead, the mechanic heard the sound of glass breaking in his head as it all clicked together, the strange beating, the desire to hold hands, looking at him more, it all suddenly made sense.

 He found himself enjoying the idea of the kiss more than the joke of it, and now he knew why. He wanted to hit himself, it was so obvious! He stood up suddenly, registering Jaden doing the same on his left. The former student seemed curious, even concerned about the mechanic’s behaviour. He was even more concerned when Yusei turned to face him and pulled him close, wrapping his arms around Jaden’s waist.

 Jaden let out a sound of surprise, but it was quickly muffled by a pair of lips crashing down upon his own. His eyes widened and his hands moved to Yusei’s chest, intent on pushing him away. But the kiss deepened, and he felt a groan leave him. His hands moved upward until they rested on Yusei’s shoulders, his eyes shut as he returned the kiss. It lasted for as long as they could let it, the two pulling away just barely enough to disconnect their lips.

 “I had to do that. I’m sorry, but I had to.” Yusei spoke softly, but Jaden heard every word. He replied with a why, and Yusei smiled.

 “Because I think I like you Jaden.” The brunette chuckled, the explanation being so simple and yet saying so much.

 “Well lucky you, cause I like you too. Now, let’s change that from you think you like me to you definitely like me.” Yusei laughed and the two shared another kiss.