Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
He did the right thing.
The sun was beginning to go down, bathing the ground in a faint orange glow, and the sole figure who sat upon the rocky edge of the cliff allowed himself to enjoy the final tendrils of warmth which would soon fade as night fell. There was a gentle breeze but it didn't bother him; the trademark red jacket that he always wore was pulled instinctively tighter around him to prevent feeling cold.
He was not alone; he never was. Behind him, the ever present spirit of Yubel took a ghostly form and crouched to place one clawed hand upon his shoulder. She realised what he needed right now and that was simply a friend, someone to assure him that he did the right thing, that he had not made a mistake.
She didn't know how she felt about it, really - on one level she was pleased to finally have him entirely to herself but it wasn't enough for her to be glad of it. After all, Jaden's recent acts had caused him great pain. She wondered if Andersen realised this; that no matter how much he himself was suffering, Jaden was suffering more.
It is one thing to be broken up with. It is entirely another to be the one ending things when you still feel the same way for them, when circumstances demand that you break up with the one who still holds your heart.
The breeze increased, no longer gentle and now rather harsh. The diminishing sunlight aided in the cooler temperature's conquering of the day. It was cold now, and he rose from the rocks. There was a vague path heading down the cliffside - accidentally manmade from where numerous people had walked the same basic path as he - and Jaden Yuki slowly made his way down, jumping patches that normal people would have tiptoed over. No matter what happened, he still possessed a childlike confidence; knowing that he is not alone had only increased his confidence over the past few years.
Graduation from Duel Academy ... was it really only three years ago? It felt like forever since he had been together with all his friends. Oh, he hadn't lost contact with them - mobile phones and social networking can be wonderful things - but meetings with them usually involved only a few people, four or five at most. It was quite different to everyone being cramped into the Slifer canteen, to say the least.
So much had happened in the past three years. Duel Academy, such an important part of his young life, seemed a hundred years ago, blurring into the past along with the rest of his life as he carried on in his journeys. The journeys which would be longer lasting now that he does not have someone to hurry back to...
Up until this morning, he had had a lover, a boyfriend, a partner, whatever. During those last few days of Duel Academy he and his best friend, Jesse Andersen, had become more than friends and spiralled into the depths of love. It had been six months before they had been able to confess and properly start up a relationship, but since then it had been wonderful. Most of the time.
Thing usually went very well for the two boys, with Jesse remaining more or less in one place as he strived to achieve his dreams and worked with the spirits as much as possible. Jaden travelled but always returned, as often as he could. But not any more - now he will not be returning, not in the same way and perhaps not ever.
Because Jesse got tired of it. He got tired of Jaden not turning up on time, tired of him not arriving until three days after he said he would be there, tired of Yubel's interruptions which he loathed but which Jaden always found funny. The last time this had happened had been when the two of them had been in bed together, right in the middle of their activities. Jaden had found it amusing; Jesse had been angry and embarrassed. An argument had begun which had lasted for three weeks, during which Jaden was with his lover some days and elsewhere on other days. Finally, Jaden had realised that things would not be able to work out, not with him being one with Yubel.
Jesse had lingering hatred for Yubel that had carried on from Dark World; at first Jaden had believed that those wounds would heal with time but now, three years later, they were as fresh and gaping as they had been the day that Jaden had revealed all to Jesse. It was clear to him now that Jesse and Yubel ... they would never be able to share him. And while he loved Jesse - truly loved him - he could not give up Yubel.
Because Yubel had nothing but him. He was her entire world; even if she were not fused to his soul, he would still have chosen her, because she had nothing without him. Jesse, on the other hand, may love Jaden entirely but Jaden was not his whole world. Jesse had his family - the Crystal Beasts - and his many friends.
It had become clear to Jaden: his relationship with Jesse was only going to hurt Jesse in the end. Over the past year, he had been leaning towards a more steady relationship; he wanted what Jaden simply could not give him.
Jaden had, the previous night, made his decision. In order to prevent Jesse getting hurt, the relationship had to end.
Because while things might be alright for the moment, they would not always go so well. Sooner or later, Jaden would have to leave for longer periods of time, more and more often as he duties as the Supreme King increased with knowledge; at the same time, Jesse would want Jaden around more often, craving a more intimate and steady relationship. It would never work, and in the end they would end up angry and split up and filled with regret.
It was better to end things while they were still friends enough that they could hopefully - over time - go back to being just friends.
Jaden had wept when he had made his decision, comforted only by Yubel who'd asked him over and over again if he was sure, assured him that he did not need to do this for her. And his only response had been that he wasn't doing it for her; he was doing it for Jesse. Jaden may never be able to maintain a steady relationship, but Jesse could; not with Jaden, but with someone else. And he was such a friendly, attractive young man ... he would find someone easily, someone who could give him what he really needed.
Jaden sighed; for all that he and Jesse had been very similar, they were not compatible. They were two poles, both negative and both positive at the same time, but never changing so they could successfully attract. They were too similar, too alike. The one area where they differed was one in which they differed too much. It wasn't possible.
Jaden realised that Jesse wouldn't break up with him, because no matter how much he hated that Jaden was not around he still loved him. Jaden had decided to end things before Jesse became truly unhappy. He would of course be initially upset but it would pass and he'd meet someone else and be happy...
And even if Jaden was unhappy himself, because he genuinely loved Jesse still, it was okay. As long as Jesse ended up happy, he had done the right thing.
He loved Jesse enough to let him go, to realise that he wasn't what was best for the green eyed duellist. No matter how many tears he was going to shed tonight, no matter how much he knew Jesse was crying tonight, he had done the right thing.
He had to believe that.
Please R&R