A/N: decided to do some Jaden and Alexis fluff. This takes place in the 4th season, after episode 162. Please read and review!

Dreams of the Dark World

Knock, knock, knock, heard Jaden as he walked over to his door. He turned the doorknob and gently pulled it open to reveal the blonde-haired Queen of Obelisk Blue, Alexis Rhodes. In her hand was a brown leather bag, a sight that made Jaden smile with nostalgia, recalling the last time he saw her at his door.

Flashback

Chazz, Syrus, Hassleberry, and Jaden all looked away from each other and at Alexis, their prior argument forgotten. The young Obelisk asked plainly "I've left my dorm for good. Can I crash here?"

End Flashback

Good Times…thought the young duelist as he welcomed Alexis inside. The young woman simply smiled as she walked inside and placed her bag on the floor next to Jaden's desk. "Thanks for allowing me to stay over, Jaden; it's nice to just hang out together like we did last year. You know, before that whole Society of Light thing…" Alexis trailed off, internally shivering at the memory of being brainwashed, and warming at the memory of being rescued from Sartorius's mind control. She blushed, though it was dark enough that Jaden couldn't see it.

"It's no big deal, Lex" Jaden returned, causing Alexis to smile. Jaden frowned at what he planned to say next. "And, I have something I need to tell you…" causing the girl to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you during our tag-team duels. You were right; I was acting like an arrogant jerk, not even considering my own partner, and I'm so sorry I didn't treat you better…"

At this point, Jaden closed his eyes, afraid of showing the tears that he was so desperately holding back, though a few still trailed down his cheeks. Alexis stared at him in shock from his confession, and then used her thumb to wipe away the tear tracks. Jaden opened his eyes to see Alexis smiling at him, who then continued "Jaden, you were under a lot of stress, and I could have been a little more patient with you. And whatever the case back then, it's over now; I've forgiven you for it, so let's not dwell on it any longer, ok?"

Jaden smiled and nodded. Alexis smiled and offered "Alright, so what do you want to do? I brought my DVDs of Battle City if you wanted to watch them…"

Jaden grinned a grin reminiscent of the Jaden from first year and nearly shouted "Awesome!" Then, realizing where he was, gave a sheepish smile, somewhat embarrassed about his perceived act of childishness.

Alexis simply chuckled and messed up his hair with one hand, assuring him "Don't feel embarrassed; it's nice to see some of the old Jaden again!" She then exclaimed "Alright, let's grab the DVDs and start watching!"

Jaden smiled as she grabbed them from her bag and started walking into Chazz's old complex from 2nd year, with Jaden following suit. As Alexis popped the DVD in the player, Jaden grabbed a bowl of popcorn from the cupboard and plopped down on the sofa, with Alexis following suit after turning on the TV and pressing the PLAY button.

After a couple hours, the DVD was over; they had watched duels from Yugi vs the Rare Hunter, to Joey vs Weevil, to Yugi vs Strings. By that time, the popcorn had been depleted and both teenagers were tired. Jaden yawned and smiled at Alexis, telling her "Thank you Lex; this has been the most fun I've had in a while!"

Lex smiled and replied "I'm glad." She then stood up and continued "Well, I'm gonna go get ready for bed. See you in the morning!"

Jaden smiled and replied "Yeah; you know where to find me if you need me."

Alexis replied "Likewise", and went off to change into her nightgown and plop on her old bed from when she lived in the Red Dorm. Jaden changed into his pajamas and crawled under his covers, conking out in an instant.

A couple hours later, Alexis awoke, feeling thirsty and went to the cabinet to get some water. While sitting on the sofa drinking, she heard moaning, gradually getting louder. Concerned, she got up and gently opened the door to Jaden's room. "Jaden? Are you alright?" she asked in a slightly louder tone.

At that point, the moans had turned to individual words that Jaden murmured every few seconds. "No…Lex…fault…my fault…come back…"

Her concern rising, Alexis walked over to where Jaden was sleeping, and saw a pained expression on his sleeping face, occasionally a tear sliding down his cheek. She lightly shook his shoulder as she tried "Jaden, Jaden wake up; it's me, Alexis!"

"It's my fault; she's gone, and it's my fault; I'm so sorry…" Jaden sleep-cried, causing Alexis to shake him harder. Finally, her patience extinguished, she raised her voice, yelling "JADEN!"

Finally, Jaden's eyes opened and he shot up in the bed, heart hammering and breathing heavily. He looked around the room until his eyes settled on Alexis, the sight of her slightly calming him down. "Lex…what…what happened?" Jaden suddenly looked down, embarrassed that Alexis had seen him in his vulnerable state.

"I was going to grab a glass of water, and I heard moaning coming from your room. I decided to check and see if you were alright. And when I came in, it seemed like you were having a nightmare; you were talking in your sleep about how I was gone and it was your fault." Alexis grasped his hand in her own and pleaded "What's wrong, Jay? Does this have to do with our adventures in the Dark World? I told you before, that wasn't your fault; none of it was your fault…"

"A…A little bit…" Jaden conceded. "But it's no big deal, Lex; I'll manage." Jaden gave her what was supposed to be a cocky grin, but failed miserably.

Alexis frowned at Jaden's insistence that nothing was wrong. "Jaden…" she said soothingly, "You don't have to act tough for me; I can see that you're hurting inside. You don't have to go through this alone, so please, talk to me" she pleaded.

Jaden looked up at her and smiled. "Al…alright; I'll tell you." Truthfully, Jaden felt comforted by the fact that Alexis was willing to listen to his fears and worries. He took a deep breath and explained "It started as a good dream; we were all at the beach doing nothing in particular, just hanging out, chilling, you know? I don't remember the specifics of what we were doing, but I knew that we were having fun." Jaden smiled for a brief second before turning serious again. "Then all of a sudden, the scenery changed into the Dark World, in that fortress with Brron." Jaden pauses, the grief of the memory overwhelming him for a moment, until Alexis squeezed his hand for comfort. He continued "I saw you in chains, just like before, and Brron sent you to the stars and there was nothing I could do to stop it. All I could tell myself was that it was my fault, and that I wanted you to come back more than anything!"

At this point, Jaden broke down, letting loose the tears that he had been holding back. "Jaden…" Alexis did the first thing that came to mind; she sat on the bed and embraced him in her arms, holding him as tightly as she could. Jaden reciprocated the gesture, his shoulders shaking in tune with his cries. "It's alright, Jay…" the young Obelisk murmured. The shoulder of her nightgown dampened with Jaden's tears, but she didn't care. "It's over now; the Dark World's nothing but a memory now, and we're safe at Duel Academy. Come on Jaden, don't cry…"

This continued for a few more minutes until Jaden finally calmed down, his sobs ceasing and his shoulders returning to a motionless state. He looked up at her, his cheeks red from embarrassment, and said "I…I'm sorry; I woke you up when you didn't need to be, and I ruined your nightgown…"

She squeezed him tighter and interrupted "Jaden, I don't care about one silly nightgown; a little trip through the wash will make it good as new. And besides, you needed me more. Don't ever be afraid or embarrassed to talk to me about what's on your mind. I…I care about you, Jaden."

"I care about you too, Lex." Jaden smiled, which caused Alexis to smile, and said "Thank you, for being there for me Lex."

"Anytime, Jay." At that point, Alexis started to get up and return to her bed in the complex, until she felt Jaden grab her arm in protest. She looked at him; Jaden's face was turned to the side, red from embarrassment; it was clear what he wanted to ask her, but he was too embarrassed to voice it. A teasing smile on her face, Alexis said "Scoot over, Jay." Obeying, Jaden moved as Alexis lay next to him, embracing him and rubbing his back. "Now sleep" she ordered as she leaned over to kiss his cheek.

Obeying, Jaden closed his eyes, a carefree smile on his face as he enjoyed Alexis's comfort. "Night, Lex…." He yawned before surrendering to slumber. Alexis kissed his cheek one last time before allowing herself to fall asleep too.

"Aishiteru, Yuki Jaden."