Fighting Xana was difficult and they became used to putting aside their private issues in order to combat the AI. Though their pride and arrogance did cause problems, the threat of Xana always united them and mended their friendships. However Xana was gone and to them that meant everything was going to better. While such a theory should have been correct, it didn't take into account what the five had tolerated for sake of their friendship and Xana.
But for the now they don't suspect that their friendship is about become divided.
In a subtle way it begins with William looking at Ulrich and asking, "Why didn't you make a move?" Ulrich, in turn, simply turns to him and honestly answers before his pride and nervousness engulths him, as it usually does around Yumi, "I don't know."
William then takes a long and hard look at Ulrich. Ulrich can't help but feel a bit nervous looking at those onyx eyes. "Ulrich," William begins after a couple of minutes of silence, "Think long and hard about why you haven't confesses yet. Fair warning if you can't too long, I'll be begin making my move." William then walks away, ignoring Ulrich's gaze at his back.
In a more direct path, the friendship becomes strained with Jeremy issuing orders. Jeremy has gotten used to doing so due to Lyoko. However after issuing orders a couple of times the reactions begin to change. He notices one day when both Ulrich and Odd look at him in odd glints in their eyes that Jeremy doesn't understand. At the same time William frowns at him and Yumi raises an eyebrow in amusement. Aelita turns and looks Jeremy right in the eye and asks why they should do as he says, her confusion resonating with honest curiosity. After stuttering a bit, Jeremy murmurs never mind and the others drop it but Jeremy can't help note how the odd glints and frown remain present.
This pattern repeats for a time because the orders are infrequent but over time they become more common and their reactions change. Now there are three glinting eyes, Aelita frowns and Yumi bluntly tells him they are in the real world and not in Lyoko. Jeremy's face grows red and the matter is dropped but the tension becomes obvious to the point that their classmates know something is going on. For the following days the air is thick with tension and Jeremy is silent until he makes another pointless order he expects to be followed and Odd snaps.
"Einstein, I sear that if you don't stop being such a control freak I'm going break your face!" Odd yells in the school courtyard. In defiance Jeremy yells back, "I'm only trying to help, Odd!" Odd and Jeremy are both shaking in anger as the school watches in fascination, the yelling match into a full on fist fight. Though the fight is broken apart by Jim soon after it begins, the after math is immediately revealed when Odd declares he can't be friends with someone who doesn't see the difference between helping and controlling.
It is at that moment that the ties forged during the battles against Xana truly shatter. Despite the pain of doing cutting the tie Odd can not, will not, allow what he sees as someone, a friend, trying to control his life. Jeremy is too embarrassed, hurt, by Odd's words to apologize. At the same time Ulrich ends up supporting Odd because he can see where Odd is coming from but not Jeremy. Jeremy admits to himself that he is not surprised because he can see knows that Ulrich and Odd are best friend, brothers, and he always felt like an outsider looking in when it comes to them. William stops talking to Jeremy, along the way because the thought of anything ordering him around fills with him a sense of dread that he doubts will ever go away.
In the end pain, dread, and oddly enough brotherhood destroys the friendship between the four boys.
A month later Ulrich finds himself having a panic attack as he realizes the truth. The truth on why he never said yes to Sissi. The truth on why a part of him rebelled against the idea of asking Yumi out. The real truth on why he had a problem with William when he first transferred. As Odd calms him done, Ulrich is grateful for the comfort and fearful of Odd's reaction to the truth.
"Ulrich," Odd voice was filled, "What happened?"
"I realized something about myself." Ulrich finds himself responding. He then looks at Odd in the eyes and Odd can see fear hidden deep with brown eyes. "I…," Ulrich begins as he reminds himself that he is near his best friend, "I'm….," no Ulrich minds whispers not your best friend your brother, the one you trust above all others. "I'm gay."
There is silence for about five seconds before Ulrich feels a smack on the back of his head and Odd is looking with the most serious look on his face. "That was a Gibbs smack," Odd begins, "to serve as a wake up call because you feared that I wouldn't be supportive." Ulrich can only stare a bit before he laughs weakly and Odd is smiling at him reassuringly at him. "So how did you figure this out anyways?" Odd asks.
With relief that Odd is supporting him Ulrich explains everything. The conversation with William and how his initial confusion on why he felt asking Yumi out was safe. His brief minor crush on William that he refused to admit, while Odd looked at him knowingly. The night ended with Odd telling him that he would interrogate any potential boyfriends as his brotherly duties. Ulrich just snorted and thanked Odd for being a great brother.
Somehow, and Ulrich will forever remain stumped as to how it happened, Odd convinces Ulrich to tell his other friends. Lying on his bed, he watches as William blinks and tells him he suspected, Aelita asks him what being gay means, and Yumi is silent. William's response fills him with relief, but Aelita's question briefly mortifies him and Yumi's silence unnerves him. As they leave his dorm Ulrich looks at Odd and remarks that he fears he may have lost a friend, the unsaid fear that it is Yumi's friendship. Odd throws a pillow up at and tells him to be hopeful.
Though Yumi has no problem with gay people, she finds herself uncomfortable with Ulrich being gay. At the same time Ulrich's fears and doubts prevent him from trying to talk to her. In the end the friendship dies due to the comfort between being evaporated and while both acknowledge that they both had a part to play, what was once lost is never regained.
In a way Yumi is not surprised with the way Odd glances at her. She knows that Ulrich and Odd are close, brothers in all but blood, and likes that he's loyal. At the same time Odd can't help but think that if Yumi got over her discomfort things between her and Ulrich would of better. However Yumi can't help but want to ask him how he would react is a girl he saw him having a future (marriage, kids, and growing old) with told him she was gay. Meanwhile Odd wants to talk to Yumi and ask how she could nothing to save her friendship with Ulrich.
In the end both say nothing and their friendship falls apart due to a mutual respect, and Yumi and Odd can't help but think themselves a coward for letting their friendship to fall without a word.
In a way the Lyoko gang know that pain, dread, brotherhood, doubts, discomfort, and respect destroyed their close knit friendship the rest Kadic is stunned. While nearly everyone witnessed the shouting match between Odd and Jeremy, the fact they haven't made up and show no signs of doing so worry them. The fact that Yumi doesn't hang out with Ulrich and Odd, draws questions no one answers because no one knows or just doesn't tell.
In the end Kadic has only rumors but it is Nicholas who is the closet to the truth. It is Nicholas who remembers before the group formed, remembered how Ulrich was distant and cold, remembers Jeremy being a loner, and it is Nicholas who knows about the Law of Equilevant Exchange.
"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain something of equal value must be lost."
Nicholas can't help but wonder what they gained and lost to become a group, what the gain and lost was for the friendships to break apart, as he drifts to sleep.
Author's Note: I decided to end things with Nicholas I wanted to end it with an outside perspective and using him felt right for some reason.
To be honest I'm not sure where making Ulrich gay came from but it just made sense in regards to this one-shot.