I need more SharkBait fics! Come on Zexal fandom, they are just adorable! :(

I don't own the catchphrase Yuma uses here either xD

What Matters The Most

"Mo, Ryoga!"

The annoyed huff that answered caused her groan as she facepalmed. Rio and her brother were at the local park the day before they were supposed to head to the Astral World and, somehow, the topic had changed from Duel Monsters and what the threat could be to Ryoga's love life - or lack there of.

"Why not?" she asked, frowning as she gripped the ice cream he had bought her. She was irritated because he wouldn't confess his feelings to a certain savior of the worlds they all knew and loved - him just in a different fashion. "Please tell me, I would love to know! It's obvious that he likes you back!"

"It doesn't matter..." Ryoga muttered. "The Mizuki girl likes him..."

Rio bit her lip as she remembered Kotori telling her yesterday that she would attempt to confess her feelings to Yuma when they started to head to the Astral World, while they were at the Kamishiro mansion. She also remembered a strangled sound (that she couldn't confuse for anyone but Alit) too. Somehow, Kotori hadn't noticed him avoiding her attempts to interact with him earlier today... either that or she had been ignoring them on purpose. All in all, Rio really wasn't happy with the situation. Not that anyone cared about what she thought, it seems.

"You are right." she said, causing him to look up at her in shock. "But that doesn't mean that you can't. Oh look..." she smiled, showing him her D-Gazer and watched as his eyes widened. "While you were busy pouting and groaning about this, I took the liberty to call him over."

"W-what? Rio!" Ryoga stood up and glared at her but she just waved, got up herself and walked over to a certain carrot-head waiting for her. Shark watched them giggle over something (probably his misery) and turned around to get his bag with a sigh. Only to face the ruby red eyes of the one he loved.

"Oi Shark!" Yuma waved in the stunned teen's face. "Your sister told me to come here... she said you had something to tell me!"

"I do?" he spoke, clearly trying to get out of this situation. Yuma saw that and frowned.

"Come on! You can tell me! Just Sharkbingu!"

Shark felt like facepalming at the horrible alteration of his catchphrase but forced himself not to and opened his mouth.

"Oh, I have something to tell you too." he continued, cutting off the older's words. "Kotori confessed to me after school today when we were alone..."

"Really...?" he felt like truly dying. As a matter of fact, he wondered why he wasn't dead by this point. He was supposed to have died long ago, it was more natural for the girl to love him... all the other what-if's and 'rights' were vanished from his mind when the younger reached out and took his hand into his.

"Yeah but I declined. I knew that I didn't have such feelings for her." he smiled. "Can you guess for whom I do?"

- line break -

Kotori bit her lip as they all floated up into the air and began to 'fly' towards a big, purple hole of what looked like nothing but she knew that the Astral World was supposed to be behind it. She looked at Yuma - who was floating beside her - and began to try and take his hand. She froze when she saw him reach out over her for Shark's hand and decided not to try. She indeed loved his smile but refused to be the kind of girl who would get in the way of his happiness. With a soft smile, Kotori slowly got away from their joined hands and went to Rio's side, knowing that Alit wouldn't accept her now.

At least she still had Rio, her friend, with her. Friendship really did matter.

Thanks for reading! :D