While I wait for my crossover fic to get some love, it's back to my little baby!
If you know me well, you will know that SharkBait is my OTP, was my OTP and will always be my OTP. Whatever as lovers, rivals or merely friends, I will always adore the bond Yuma and Ryoga/Shark share. You can't believe how happy I was when I saw that the Barians were revived (along with everyone else), that Yuma didn't lose all but a handful of his friends... that whole arc made me cry like a baby (odd since I'm known for being emotionless and stuff like that) and... yeah, this drabble was inspired by that.
Warning: might be a bit angsty (depends on how much I get into it xD)
For What It's Worth
For the mere thirteen years of his life, Tsukumo Yuma has lived through a soul-sucking (literally) tournament, duels with his life on the line (along with the lives of his friends) all the time and a war. Said war which caused the deaths of a large number of his friends (yes, he included the Barians in this... he just couldn't hate them - not even Vector - for wanting to save their world at all costs) but also the war that enabled him the way to bring them back.
He remembered all too well that moment when he found out about Ryoga's true self.
The pain, the humiliation of being betrayed yet again, the grief and the guilt... oh yes, the guilt of not being able to help his friend ... his rival.. his ... lover protect his world. But the problem had been that Yuma was already sworn to protect a world - no, two worlds - and commiting that ultimate betrayal would have meant the deaths of Astral - oh Astral - and his other friends (not that his decision didn't prevent those, whatsoever).
Biting his lower lip, Yuma decided to stop worrying about the past for now. After all, Ryoga was supposed to come and pick him up for school very soon. They were already late because he had slept in and Ryoga, being Ryoga, decided to wait up for him. A small smile formed itself on his chopped lips. It was almost like the war never happened. Like Ryoga never had to chose. Like he had never decided to throw him away like yesterday's trash. This way, he could pretend. Pretend and hopefully, one day, forget. Putting his backpack on, Yuma ran down the stairs, bid his grandmother and sister goodbye for the morning and was out of the door before they could speak to him about his still asleep parents. That was another matter too, but he liked to pretend that it didn't exist either.
As he watched Ryoga carefully park in front of the gates, he walked up to him and grabbed his arm, cuddling into it with a soft smile on his face.
"Yuma?" the worried teen muttered, wondering for a moment why the other was being so clingly this morning. Realizing why, Shark chuckled and pulled him into a small hug before pulling away and giving him a helmet, telling him to get on and hold on thight.
'Don't worry your small head over this.' Shark thought as he drove them towards the school, fully prepared to defend himself and Yuma against Rio, who would probably be waiting for the late students as she usually had for the past few weeks. 'For what it's worth, I will remain by your side.'
Well that was... hopefully not too bad. Either way, this was born out of my need for more Sharkbait, take it as you will ;)
Thanks for reading! :D