Field trips were a rare occurrence at Duel Academy. It wasn't everyday that the school would allow the students to have a day off from curricular activities, let alone two, and Jaden knew he had to enjoy the trip to its full potential. It was true that the students had already visited Domino City, however between saving the world and duelling to do so, his group of friends had not really had a chance to enjoy the city in its full glory.
Leaving the boat that had taken them straight to their destination, Jaden took in the view once more - the cityscape had not changed much, several tall skyscrapers lining it, most belonging to Kaiba Corps. Crowds bustled in the streets, and, straining, he wondered whether it would be possible to find Yugi Muto's grandfather, who had graced them with his presence on their last visit, among the countless faces.
"We'll visit grandpa later, don't worry Jay," Syrus walked up beside him, grinning, as though reading the other's thoughts. Jaden grinned back, taking in a deep breath of air. It was dirtier than the air his lungs were used to, spending all his time on a secluded island in the middle of the ocean (active volcano included in the price), but it brought back nostalgic memories of the prior visits, the excitement of returning to his hero's home town bubbling in his stomach like a myriad of butterflies threatening to burst through.
"Alright, students," he heard Crowler's voice behind him, making him turn his head in the direction of the sound. "Make sure not to leave any of your luggage behind or else you won't see it for the rest of the trip. Now come along, I have a penthouse suite to check into."
"Good to see Crowler's his usual self," Hasselberry commented, walking up to his two best friends. Jaden nodded in agreement, refusing to let his mood be dampened by the teacher's lack of enthusiasm for being in the town which gave birth to some of duel history's greatest legends. Either way, there would be plenty of time to hit the town later; it was probably the right decision to get rid of all their luggage now - he wouldn't have wanted it weighing him down during his ventures.
Approaching a monumental building, Jaden couldn't help but feel impressed. After camping outside during their last trip, it seemed the students would be living in the lap of luxury for the day - a grand hallway greeting its guests with plush carpets and large archways was the first sight upon entering the building, and it set the standards high.
"Girls, to me!" Miss Fontaine called, beckoning the female students closer to retrieve the keys which she had picked up upon arriving, Bonaparte standing on the opposite side of the corridor, holding the keys for the rooms allocated to the boys.
"We'll have rooms of two," Crowler explained, standing next to Bonaparte, arms crossed in front of his chest. Jaden looked towards his two best friends in dismay - there would have to be a split up between them. With a deep breath, he put on a grin.
"You two share a room, it doesn't really matter who I'm put with."
"You sure, sergeant?" Hasselberry shot an unsure glance at Syrus who donned a similar expression.
"Positive," assuring his friends, Jaden let them go ahead of him, eyeing the crowd for any other face he vaguely knew enough to call an actual friend. Bastion disappeared to work alongside Dr. Eisenstein, so he was a no show. Nibbling his bottom lip in thought, his eyes continued to scan the shrinking crowd. Until there was only one person left.
"Hey Chazz," His sheepish greeting was received with an exasperated sigh from the ebony haired boy. Getting up from his slouching position by his suitcase, Chazz stared Jaden straight on, tutting.
"Just this once, slacker."
For Chazz, the situation seemed distasteful, as far as Jaden could tell. However Jaden couldn't say he felt the same way. He didn't understand Chazz, that was for sure. He was haughty, where Jaden was open. He was crude where Jaden's words were soft. He treated his monsters like trash while Jaden treated his like friends. The rivals, to anyone, would seem like two opposite sides of a coin, never matching, both a complete parallel to the other. Yet Jaden couldn't help but feel that the gossip about Chazz's unsympathetic, cold nature was not entirely true. He couldn't place why, but his intuition hadn't failed him as of yet.
Taking the key for their room from the vice Chancellor, Jaden stood alongside Chazz waiting for the lift to come back down. Their room was on the 9th floor, and with the suitcase that Chazz had brought with him, carting it up 9 flights of stairs was not something the boy was willing to partake in. Not that Jaden minded too much. Taking the elevator would mean reaching the room faster, which in turn led to looking around the city quicker. It was a victory all around.
After a short wait, the elevator doors opened with a light ding, and the boys were ushered into the compartment. Being the final two, there was no sharing the lift with other students, the teachers staying in the lobby a few minutes more to finish some legal work, or whatever Crowler had said. Jaden hadn't really listened. Pressing the '9' button, Chazz slouched forward on the bar of his case, awaiting the quick ascension, looking wary. Having no idea what could be bothering the other so much, Jaden figured it must be the nerves of being in the famous town buzzing through Chazz's nerves, the same electrical impulses jolting through his own. Chazz didn't even remember the last visit; he had been brainwashed throughout. This must be an even more exciting experience for him.
"Don't worry Chazz," Jaden beamed, "You'll be able to go out and see the town in no time."
With a scowl, eyes still darting around the elevator, Chazz nodded. "Can't wait."
It was at this moment that everything went wrong. The feeling of ascending stopped, prompting Jaden to start to move towards the entrance. The entrance that refused to open. Jaden frowned, tapping the door repeatedly, to no avail. A buzzing sounded in the small speaker above the buttons, before a stranger's voice rang out in the small space.
"There's been a power shortage. We're trying to fix the problem now. Do not panic."
"Guess we're stuck for a while," Jaden turned his head as he said that to look at Chazz, freezing up. The boy was paralysed, white knuckles even paler as they gripped the handle of his suitcase in horror. Slowly extending his hand to brush Chazz's shoulder, his hand was slapped away, the black haired boy curling in on himself. This wasn't like Chazz. Not the self-assured Chazz he knew.
Settling down next to Chazz, careful not to sit too close lest he trigger another violent outbreak, Jaden tried to catch Chazz's eye. Failing to connect with the ash grey eyes, he whispered, softly, gently.
"Hey, Chazz." No response. "It's alright, it's just a power outage. They'll fix it soon."
Shaking his head slowly before letting his forehead rest on the length of his arms, knees tucked tightly against his chest, Chazz let out a long, shaky breath.
"I didn't want you to see me like this."
The sincere vulnerability that resounded in his rival's voice moved something deep inside Jaden's chest. In the deafening silence, he could hear everything - his own heartbeat, the uneven breaths Chazz took. Taking a gamble, he inched closer, laying a hand even slower on Chazz's back, the boy tensing under his touch, eyes staring blankly forward.
"W-what are you doing?" He stammered as Jaden began to draw circles in his back, attempting to loosen the muscles. He didn't know how to deal with a panic attack, having never had one himself, but he could try.
"Helping, now breathe." Chazz did as he was told, taking raspy, yet deep breaths in and out. "Good." Jaden studied his rival's face, light circles of black lining the bottom lids of his long-lashed, stormy eyes. He seemed exhausted.
Deciding against mentioning this fact, he tried to think of other things to help the other boy. The black coat covering him from shoulders to knees did not seem like an aid in the situation, probably absorbing excess heat that Chazz didn't need to deal with right now in his wrecked state. He vocalised again softly, trying his best not to startle the other.
"Take your coat off." He began to slowly slip the other's jacket from his shoulders, however was met with resistance. Shaking his head vehemently, Chazz refused. However the damage had been done. Enough skin showed through for Jaden to notice the large bruise adorning the pale, smooth shoulder.
"Jesus Christ, Chazz," he whispered, more to himself than to the other, who had closed in on himself again. He covered the marking again, returning to gently stroking the other's back in silence, listening as Chazz continued to even his breathing.
"You're the only one that knows."
Meeting Chazz's eyes, Jaden couldn't help but feel conflicted. He liked the vulnerable side that only he had ever had the chance to see of Chazz Princeton; simultaneously he hated whoever had hurt him to turn him into a broken wreck. All the same, he knew he had only scratched the surface of Chazz, the boy he had been trying to understand for two years, the boy he threw everything on the line for to save from the Society of Light when they had him in their grasp. Thinking about it, out of all his friends, Chazz had been the first he rescued. Not Alexis. Not Bastion. Chazz. Why was that?
Why had he been so adamant, so determined to reunite Chazz with his cards and save him before everyone else? He hadn't thought about it before. At the time it just seemed... natural. It was Chazz. His rival. His friend. His crush.
Crush. That's what it was. It was almost laughable. The answer was so simple, answering all those questions, as well as why he was so pleased to share a room with Chazz despite their tumultuous relationship. In hindsight, it was blazingly obvious. Wondering if he had been the only one to not notice, he let his hand subconsciously keep rubbing circles around Chazz's back, the need to help him stronger than ever. It was exactly when Chazz broke free from the brainwashing, he realised, that these feelings started to surface; the immense pride of Chazz accepting himself the way he was, the relief he was safe. The love for the boy who was more than just some spoiled rich kid. Even if it was only Jaden who saw it then, it was even clearer now. Chazz was human. Unmistakably human.
Chazz's breathing had returned to relative normality, but they continued to sit quietly, Jaden's hand slowing to a halt on the shoulder blade jutting out under the dark coat. With a shaky breath, Chazz laughed, not mockingly, but filled with some deep shame, as though Jaden had discovered a dark secret. Well, technically he had, little as he knew. It was not shameful, whatever it was, not in Jaden's eyes, but to shake up Chazz...
"Claustrophobic." Chazz spoke the word slowly, deliberately. "I'm claustrophobic."
Jaden nodded, squeezing Chazz's arm gently, earning a light grimace. Seeming like an expression of pain, Jaden bolted away quickly, apologetic. Not expecting an explanation, he gave Chazz more room to breathe. If there was anything he could do to protect him, he would.
Suddenly, the doors to the lift opened up, the input board lighting up. Looking up, Chazz's eyes were filled with relief, a long sigh escaping his lips like a breath he had been holding. On shaky legs, he stood up, taking the handle of his bag to steady himself. As Jaden got up to do the same, he caught him by his sleeve, stopping him. As they locked eyes, his gaze seemed softer. It made Jaden feel like he melted on the spot.
"Jaden. Thank you." Jaden. Not "slacker". Not "dork". Jaden. Putting on his brightest, goofiest smile, he gestured the door, eager to get Chazz out of the hellish place they had just endured together. Still, if nothing else, the experience had brought them together, and may have even intertwined the courses of their lives in ways they had yet to experience.