Yay, a new short story with Yu! I just love writing with Yu, he's definitely one of my favorite characters. I found the plans for this story written down in one of my old notebooks, so who knows how long ago I planned to write this fic, but I'm glad to be doing it now! Just two quick notes about the setting of this fic. This will take place sometime between Metal Fury and Zero-G, the reason it's not during Zero-G is because it feels more right to have it between the two stories, as well as the fact that I don't remember much from Zero-G, definitely not enough to write with it. The second quick thing about the fic would be that since it is between the two shower, Yu is aged up a few years as all the other character were older in Zero-G. And Tsubasa in not quite the president of the WBBA yet. Anyhow, hope you guys enjoy this first chapter.
Yu hadn't expected to see him ever again. It had been what felt like forever since he last heard his name or even gave him a thought. Yu wavered slightly from where he was sitting in the store. He'd been waiting just at the entrance of the little shop for Tsubasa, while the ran to pick Madoka up a few things. They'd been on there way to see the mechanic when she requested for them to stop and pick her up a few things. Since she was in the middle of finishing up minor repairs on Eagle and Libra they figured it was the least the could do. Yu hadn't really wanted to stop. It was a nice and bright summer day out and the weather was perfect. He wanted to get his Libra back as soon as possible so he could head over the bey park with Tsubasa and do some battling. Tsubasa had been rather busy lately regarding WBBA, so Yu wanted to have as much time as possible to battle and spend time with the older male. Much to Yu's dismay, Tsubasa said they had to stop and Yu soon found himself basking in the air-conditioned shop as he waited. He had decided to wait rather than walk idly around with Tsubasa. It had been a good idea at the time, but now Yu found himself wishing that he'd gone with Tsubasa.
Shorty after Tsubasa disappeared within the isles of the store Yu found himself chilling on the bench just under the store's large windows. Not long after he'd gotten comfortable he looked out to the blue sky to watch the fluffy white clouds and daydream, however, his eyes had been caught by the slight and eerie sight of a familiar redhead just across the road. Tall and scrawny with shaggy red hair, golden eyes hidden behind those yellow tipped bangs...there was no mistaking who that guy was. "Reiji…" Yu whispered to himself as he lowered his body to the bench and peeked over the back of it to look out at the redhead through the window.
Outside Reiji waited patiently for his cue to cross the street alongside the other's waiting. The summer sun was beating down on him and dampening forehead and neck as strands annoyingly stuck to his pale skin. He scratched irritably at a mosquito bite that he'd gotten the other night. He hated such hot summers as this one. It was too hot and the bugs bothered him, mostly the ones that bite at him and left marks or itches. Not only that but the heat that he could feel off his thick head of hair didn't really make him feel the best. His refusal to cut it didn't help either. Reiji watched the cars past him with an impatient gleam in his eyes. He was hungry and all he wanted was to get to that store and buy something to snack on as he headed back home. Why was the light taking so long to change? How long had he been waiting? He was sure he was just being impatient and it had only been a moment or so.
Finally, he heard the light change from green to red and the signal to walk popped up. He strolled across the road with a slight hurry in his step, but he disappointed to find that the people in front of him were taking their sweet time. Reiji recoiled at the feeling as one of the people crossing stumbled into him, he shoved them away with an irritable hiss and hurried to cross the street and push the door of the shop open, being greeted by a wave of cool air. He gave a pleasant hum to himself as he began his search for something to eat. He found himself staring at the snack for what felt like forever. There were too many to pick from and so many that he wanted to try.
If it hadn't been for his red locks Yu likely wouldn't have realized who it was so quick. That, and those hair clips sat in his hair still, mimicking a serpent eyes as he made an odd stagger across the crosswalk, his head down and bobbing slightly.
Yu watched with an odd mix of fear and anxiousness bubbling up inside him as Reiji approached the shop. Why was his stomach turning like this? Battle Bladers had been so long ago, he hadn't even heard of or even thought of Reiji since then. So why was it when Reiji walked in and lifted his head to look around and expose his piercing eyes did yu recoil a bit? He shouldn't be scared to Reiji! He'd been confronted by Damian during the World Championships, watched Tsubasa fall apart under the dark power, and even fought alongside everyone else; Reiji should be the last thing to be afraid of! Yu could remember a time when he had nightmares about Reiji and the Dark Nebula, even for a short time after they fell. Despite having the support of his friends and not ever saying a word of the subject. He eventually got past it, especially now that he was older and he didn't give thing's like that a thought anymore. Still, though, Yu could still remember the feeling he'd felt when he'd thought Reiji was going to smash his Libra to pieces. Even though he didn't see Libra suffer as much as Kenta or even Hyoma's beys had, he very much remembered running away after distracting Reiji and Doji with his special move. He was glad that he'd escaped, he would've been a fool not to get away. Reiji hadn't got the full chance to hurt Yu in the way that he wanted to, but it only made Yu wonder if Reiji saw him if he'd want to finish what he didn't get a chance to do back then. Would Reiji want a rematch? Would he want to finish what he started?
Still, when Reiji walked past, paying little to no mind to him and heading for one of the isles, Yu felt his heart jump and a flood of memories hit him. Memories of his time with Doji and the Dark Nebula hit him hard. A flood of images of all the damage Reiji caused and the flashes of Libra slowly chipping and breaking stuck in his mind. That battle with Reiji had been the first time Yu could remember feeling truly weak and defenseless. Yu moved to sit back on the bench. He was older now, petty fears like this shouldn't bother him anymore. But Yu was more frightened now than he was back then, as it wasn't necessarily the sight of Reiji that scared him, but the idea of him.
Yu scolded himself for having such feelings. You're older and stronger now Yu! Reiji couldn't even hurt you if he wanted to! The sudden thought of how strong Reiji may have gotten since their Dark Nebula days crossed his mind. Come to think of it, Yu hadn't really heard anything about Reiji since then. No news of an odd snake boy tearing people's beys to pieces around the city. What if he left the city to go embark on some twisted journey of tormenting others and growing strong in the process!? Despite being older, Yu's mind still raced with every possible scenario.
The idea that someone had really once been able to pin him down in a battle and almost defeat him like that. Of course, Yu had lost before and times after Battle Bladers, but not in a way like that. He'd been forced to watch Reiji begin to hurt his Libra. He'd been pushed to call Ryuga for help and forced to see him turn his back without a care for him or Libra. Watching Ryuga leave and receiving nothing but the defenselessness that came with losing to Reiji.
Yu got up next without much of a thought of what he was doing. Looking over to Reiji he found him paying at the front counter. He wasn't going to let himself sit there and be afraid, he was going to confront this right now! He walked up, lingering behind Reiji for a moment as the redhead appeared to be counting his change. The sound of the change hitting the counter alerted Yu and when he looked over he saw that Reiji appeared to be a dollar and some change short and again without much thinking Yu dug into his pocket and slide a dollar and seventy-two cents over to the cashier. "That covers it right?" Yu asked, receiving confirmation from the older man.
When Yu looked back to Reiji the words he'd planned to say immediately left his mind and his mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out. Reiji's sharp golden gaze had turned down to Yu and all the younger could feel were those unwanted feelings of fear and bad memories rising within him again.