Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or any of the characters depicted in the story. Proper rights are owned by the respected owners individually.

Note: Here's my first chapter fic! Well, a two-shot. Hope you enjoy!

Just Be
by. Satari-Raine

"Well, I don't see how-"

"So, would the one suit with stripes be better, or-"

"Onii-san. Why did you suddenly call me to ask how I am if it was only for you to ask about your fashion choices?" Asuka sighed, exasperated as she rubbed her temples. Fubuki's chuckles echoed within the small cell phone, the sound gleeful and all too amused.

"Well, I just wanted to check up on my beloved little sister. Is that such a crime, my dear Asuka?"

Asuka huffed into the phone when she heard Fubuki's laughter muffle into the receiver. "I…suppose not." Resting her check in her palm, she leaned over her wooden desk crowded with piles of papers upon more piles. Drowning out as Fubuki started chatting away about a pair of twins he recently met, she lifted her head up, marking a nearby paper with a passing grade.

Recently, she had just accepted a part-time job at a small dueling institution in New York. Despite her yearning to teach at places such as Duel Academia in Japan or other large institutes, she found herself pleased as she started her walk towards her dreams. Normally she'd be instructing on the basics of dueling alongside the professor, but he had to leave early to tend to his pregnant wife who was due any day, leaving Asuka his usual duty of grading papers. Despite his protest, she even offered to assist in his job of reviewing over next week's material since she assumed he'd be gone for a while.

Now instead of relaxing over the weekend with a few duels and a novel or two, she would have her plans set from the moment she stepped out of the classroom. However, as Fubuki laughed at something Ryou had messed up on - cooking, it seemed - the young female wondered what she would do on Saturday; she'd spend her Friday grading papers and her Sunday reviewing over what to teach the class when Monday reappeared.

She also wondered how her brother so easily switched from topic to topic.

"So, Asuka, will you do it..?"

Blinking, she gripped her cellphone as she let out a soft apology. "Um. Repeat that please, Onii-san."

Fubuki paused, his smirk audible in the phone. "Ah, ah, ah! Asuka, you weren't listening?" He teased.

"I believe it was only fair when you interrupted me the first time."

"Touché." He replied, his voice a rhythm of chuckles as he shuffled, the noises hushed over the phone receiver. Asuka pinched the bridge of her nose, waiting for him to continue so he'd get to the point of this call. "Well, after I finished about Ryou burning a cup of ramen; I have pictures of his face: priceless. Anyway, I had said that you should come to the party with Momoe and Junko tomorrow evening at five. Oh, myself included, of course."

She rubbed her head. Sometimes she wondered if he ever thought about what he was going to say before speaking. Laughing, he continued. "Your dear friend Junko took a part time job at a karaoke club as a waitress while her dueling assistant application is being checked over. C'mon, it'll be fun!"

Asuka paused, contemplating whether or not to agree to her brother's whim. After all, she did have work to do this weekend, and under no condition would she disrespect her employer. Then again, she did have one day free…but what if she didn't finish everything tonight?

Quietly, she replied, "It would be nice to catch up with them again, but…I'll think about it."

Fubuki released a breath into the receiver, followed by a chuckle. "Okay then, if you say so. Well, I have to go, my dear sister. Don't cry, okay?" He teased.

"Oh, please," She laughed. "I'll do my best."

"Good. Call me when you decided…and Asuka?"

She blinked, rubbing her head with her free fingertips as she crossed out a flawed answer, her neck tingling as it was bent to meet her shoulder, her phone in between. "Yes?"

"Don't forget to take care of yourself."

The receiver clicked and the line went silent. Pressing her pen on the surface of the wood, she snapped shut her cell phone with a snap, a soft smile gracing her lips at her brother's words. Standing up, she collected her desired stack of paper, carefully sliding them into her large satchel. Walking towards the door, she flicked the light switch down.

As the light dimmed away, she smiled. "I won't." With the breeze light ruffling the trees outside the glass windows and the stacks of papers resting neatly in her satchel, Asuka shut the classroom door with a resounding click.

She secured the satchel's strap tighter on her shoulder while she walked through the semi-crowded streets, filled with the sounds of footsteps and conversations until the zooming car's engines drowned out the street's commotions. Running her fingers through her blonde tresses, she paused at the end of the sidewalk as the right-of-way sign flashed red. However, her grey eyes widened as an incoming car honked fiercely, the tires screeching to a stop as it halted in front of a pedestrian who was busily scratching a tuff of deep blue hair while light embarrassed laughter slipped out.

Asuka gasped. She knew that voice anywhere.

"Johan-kun?"

At her hushed tone spoken not in English, her native language slipping out of her mouth at the sight of him, his head snapped towards her direction, leaving her to wonder how he heard her over the roar of the city and the fuming shouts of the driver. Recognizing her, he dashed over, that same million watt smile plastered on his face as he walked up to her, stopping as he glanced down.

"Well, Asuka. This is a pleasant surprise," he laughed softly, replying back to her in Japanese as he scratched that same messy mane of spikes that Asuka noticed that had grown since their last meeting at her graduation from Duel Academia. "I hope you didn't see what happened there." He added nervously, laughing sheepishly as that car speed by, honking angrily at the European-duelist as it disappeared down the crowded roads of New York.

She offered a smile, glancing up at the man who had grown a few inches also in contrast to his hair. Still slightly shocked at merely meeting him again in New York of all places, she spoke, "I'm afraid so, Johan-kun. Didn't you see the sign? It said we weren't supposed to cross." Glancing back at the road, she noticed their side had the right away, and she walked ahead into the street, Johan in tow behind her with an alert gaze as he looked both ways, his lesson now learned.

"I…was distracted." He replied, and even though she couldn't see his face, she knew that same expression of embarrassment mixed with a dazed look still retained itself as his expression.

"By what?"

"Clouds," was the simple answer.

Laughing softly, she turned around to face him as she smiled. However, Johan had started to space out again as his eyes wandered up towards the skyscrapers, effectively causing him to bump into her. Asuka gasped lightly as she landed against the stone sidewalk, slightly dazed from the action before she hurried to pick up her spilt papers.

"I'm so sorry, Asuka! Here, let me help." He rushed out, bending down to scoop up her papers in a blur. She blinked, still recovering from the fall to realize he had all of her forms in a neat stack in one of his arms, his large palm outstretched towards hers with an apologetic, sheepish smile. Accepting the hand, she clasped their palms together, surprised at how warm his skin was to her touch. Feeling herself fly up from the ground, she offered him a simple thank you as she collected her papers, slipping them neatly into the bag.

"Heh. Oh! That reminds me," He said suddenly, rubbing the back of his head in that same habit she'd seen him have since their time at Duel Academia – it reminded her a bit of Judai. "I'm in town for a little while since I just finished with a small tournament match. Well, I'll only be here for this weekend only. Judai's planning on visiting me back home so I'm on a tight schedule." Laughing, he scratched his cheek, making Asuka believe he didn't sort out his thoughts before speaking; the thought made her smile.

"Well, what I mean is if you have some spare time, we can go catch up? Maybe grab some food or even duel? I haven't dueled any of my old friends since Judai's last visit."

Chuckling that even when inviting someone for a lunch date, Johan still managed to add the words 'Judai' and 'duel,' she merely shrugged, unsure. "Well, I have papers to grade tonight, and I have to figure out my teaching plans this weekend. I promised my employer."

At this, Johan's grin fell slightly as he entreated, his tone still polite. "Ah, but Asuka, you have to take a break once and a while, right? It wouldn't hurt you to take an hour off, I promise." Smiling brightly, his eyes shinned with optimism and eagerness, that same shade of light that Judai always had when excited; why she was making so many comparisons between the two, she didn't know.

"Well, yes but–"

"Asuka." He interrupted, his voice soft with a polite ring. "It's not good to stress out so much; you even did it while at Duel Academia." Before she could reply, he held up a hand and smiled. "Just allow me to take you out for a cup of coffee, or we could go eat at your favorite restaurant." Walking forward, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay to take your time, and I'm sure your employer doesn't want you to overwork. Besides," he trailed off, shrugging as he backed away a few steps. "You can always plan your lessons on Sunday, so you can have Saturday free with me for just an hour or two."

Asuka glanced at him, slightly shocked at why he was so set on this self-appointed mission, but completely understanding of what he meant. 'It's just like what Onii-san said today; almost as if both of them are on sync to try to get me to stop being a 'work-a-holic.' Rubbing her head, she frowned slightly.

'…Maybe he's right..?'

Sighing, she surrendered to the kind smile, to her friend that was waiting patiently for her answer, his eyes telling her if she wants to decline she has the complete right to and he'd respect it just the same. He was strange, and somehow, it was comforting, familiar, a strangeness she didn't know she missed.

So with a small smile. she said, "I'll go with you, but just for a little while."

Johan smiled, grateful as he gave her a half-hug around the shoulders. "Okay, I'll meet you at…?"

"Michael's Coffee Shop at 3:00pm. It's only a few blocks west of here near the Avenue building." At Johan's questioning state, she added quickly, "I think it was close to the place where I heard there was a dueling tournament?"

"Yup, that's where I was at, so I should know where to go. Thanks, Asuka!"

Curious as to why he was thanking her instead of the other way around, he bowed slightly and offered a 'See you later!' as he walked past her, turning around to wave as he disappeared within the hordes of the crowd. Asuka blinked, slightly dazed by how fast that had happened, and if it even happened at all.

'He really is spontaneous, just like Onii-san…'

Walking back towards her apartment, she smiled. Surely, it wouldn't be that bad? She deserved a break, after all, and this would be a good chance to reconnect with an old acquaintance from her school days. Now, just to make sure Fubuki didn't find out. Then again, she'd have to tell him since she was going to be with Johan instead of going along with the karaoke event he wanted to drag her to.

Maybe she could make it to both if all went well? Shrugging as she reached her apartment, she twisted the key into the door handle, listening for the turning tumbler. If she was to do anything, she had to finished with the papers first.

Stepping in the door to be met with a rush of cold air, she steeled her gaze and went to work.

"You have a date with Johan-kun?"

Papers done after a long two hours of a pen flying over paper? Check.

Fubuki spazzing out due to her meeting Johan and going to eat tomorrow with said duelist? Check.

"It's not a date, Onii-san. We're just going to catch up. That's all." She rubbed her head, leaning back into the soft plushy cushion of her sofa. In the background, she heard Momoe and Junko laugh followed by Fubuki stuttering.

"But he's taking you someone where nice that you like to go. And you are a female and he's a male. It's the foundation of a date!" His voice was loud. She pictured him standing on a soapbox, waving his hands around as he preached to the sky of what a date was.

Shaking her head, she walked towards her stove, a soft smile on her face. "But you and Ryou-san went on a 'date' before too. And as far as everyone else knows, there's no doubt Ryou's a male. About you – well, everyone has their assumptions. Aren't those the same fundamentals of a 'date', even though you insisted you both were just 'catching up'?"

Fubuki grew silent on the other end, and regarding the laughter from Junko in the background, Asuka firmly believed she had stunned her brother into being speechless. As she chuckled, stirring the softening pasta in the water, she then heard the phone being transferred from Fubuki to Junko, something about the faint trace of Fubuki trading it over, his voice, struck Asuka with concern.

"Is he okay?"

"Not sure. He's a little stunned. I think he's calling Ryou-sama right now."

Asuka hummed, "I see. It's good to hear from you, though. How are you and Momoe?"

"We're going great! Fubuki-sama offered us a room in his apartment complex while we're saving up money individually for our own. Momoe's actually applying for a job at the American branch of Kaiba Corp., as a secretary and assistant for junior duelists." Asuka smiled as Junko kept talking, a little sad that her once boy-crazy friends with their girlish states of minds were growing up right along with her.

"So…a date, huh?"

Well, they haven't grown up completely.

"It's not a date. He just offered to catch up while he's in town."

Momoe's laughter filled the receiver, and Asuka assumed she was on speaker. She still couldn't hear Fubuki; probably off in the bathroom talking to Ryou. "We know, Asuka. We're just teasing you! Still…I saw a picture Fubuki-sama had of him and Judai-kun. He's cute."

"I suppose. Anyway, I might still be able to be with you guys tomorrow evening. Johan-kun only insisted that we hang out for an hour or two, and we're meeting at three."

At this, Junko's voice flooded the phone, her tone awkward as she muttered, "Well, that's why we called. We can't do it tomorrow night because my boss's brother's wife is having a baby any day now, so he had to shut down the bar for a while."

Momoe then chimed in, "Yeah, it's a bummer. But maybe next weekend would work? Fubuki-sama did say you were busy this weekend."

Asuka nodded to herself as she bent her neck, holding her phone in place against her shoulders as she drained the noodles. "Yes, I am. My boss is having a child soon –I'm assuming both of our employers are related by the sound of it – so next weekend would be perfect for me." The steam rose up, engulfing her face in warmth.

"Okay. Well, we have to go. Our Chinese food just arrived!" At this, Momoe squealed, her footsteps being heard as a door opened in the distance. "Have fun on your date, Asuka-san!"

The receiver clicked off, and the line grew silent, the only noise being the rushing cold water over the soft noodles. Asuka couldn't help but smile. Tomorrow was going to be interesting, to say the least. As she glanced back at her living room, her bowl in hand as she glanced down at the graded papers, she let out a contented sigh. Being able to relax was nice, despite working had its own sweet rewards. She'd have to make sure to tell Johan thank you for the offer.

Sitting on her couch, she slurped up a few noodles. They were perfect.

Comments and critique are always welcomed.