Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Apology

The house was more lavishly furnished than what he had expected; modern and expensive, not to mention incredibly tidy. He did vaguely wonder if, perhaps, the other, more private rooms of the large apartment were less pristine and tried to imagine the other hastily tidying up this front room in preparation for his arrival; the very idea made him smirk. This was a completely unannounced visit, and even if he had sent ahead some warning, it was almost a given that the other wouldn't have tidied up for the visit; if anything, he would have deliberately made it a mess in an attempt to prevent this visit for happening.

It was hardly a secret that he and Zane Truesdale didn't go together like strawberries and cream. More like antisocial cat and bloodthirsty dog. They had worked together for a time, but that was under exceptional circumstances in an alternate dimension. Back in their own world in no spectacular conditions ... well, it was totally different now. They didn't have to get along, if they didn't want to. Pro league rivals often didn't.

However, immaturity wasn't something either one took pleasure in indulging in. And after so many experiences, their usual pattern – when they interacted at all – of trash talk and glares had dwindled from acceptable to childish. Now, they either spoke or did not, and it was truly that simple.

At least, that simplicity lasted until one or other – usually him – opened their mouth, and then the situation was entirely different. When that happened, competitions could be started; duels initiated; arguments begun. They didn't see one another often enough for such a pattern to actually qualify as normal, but still, their usual interactions did not always end up being pleasant. Of course, usually they came together by mistake; most often when Aster was hanging out with Jaden and Zane with Syrus, when the two old friends decided a sort of get-together was necessary. Even then, those occurrences were rare: Zane's work or his health could interfere, as could Aster's busy schedule or his pride.

But even though they met rarely with the others, the times they were together, just the two of them, were even fewer. For the most part, the reason was this: they didn't have any in particular to say to each other or any specific reason to spend time together.

However, very occasionally, circumstances would throw them into the whirlpool of coincidence and they'd find themselves alone in some private place, simply because a private meeting was always easier than a public one. After all, media attention surrounded them both to a certain extent, and although Aster was used to it by now, Zane was presently uncomfortable with it, considering his current misfortunate of having to use a wheelchair. It was a small dent to his ego; usually he just put up with it, but that didn't mean he wanted the world to view him as an invalid. He was still the proud, strong duellist he once was; he needed to prove it, but he knew already that it was possible.

Now, with his hands clasped together loosely, Aster Phoenix glanced over at Zane.

He had been invited into Zane's apartment – which he had never been inside before in his life – by Zane's little brother, who had claimed to be 'just leaving'. Even though Aster had been here for three entire minutes – a long time for a 'social calling' to a busy Pro – Zane had not yet spoken. He was sitting over by the large front window in his custom wheelchair, his back to Aster, silent but alert. And Aster knew already that, no matter how much time he might be wasting, he would not speak until Zane did; the other had nodded when he'd entered the room to acknowledge his presence.

His fingers twisted around themselves – Zane's company made him do that, he'd realised; fidget. It wasn't something he particularly did, partially due to his own nature and partially due to the media attention which forced him to focus on image and posture; neither of which ever included fidgeting. Around Zane, though, he didn't like to sit still; he refused to say that he was in any way intimidated by the older man - he wasn't – but there was nonetheless something about Truesdale that made him ... uneasy. Maybe it was simply knowing how easily Zane used to embrace pain. Then again, why should that matter to Aster in the first place? Besides, Zane was different now.

He was better. He was easier to get along with.

That didn't mean Aster liked spending time with him. Time alone with him was even less tolerable. However, he'd been specifically asked to come here and he'd owed a favour; how hard could one visit be?

Well, it could be made that much easier, he couldn't help but contemplate, if Zane would at least say hello, or whatever his personal equivalent of a greeting might be nowadays. Any otherwise conversation would be rather one-sided.

Unfortunately for Phoenix, the other man in the room did not seem to be eager to begin conversation at the moment. And since his schedule was not particularly busy today, and because of his pride, he would not speak until the other did.

/

"Jaden asked you to come, didn't he?"

The words snapped Aster out of his trance-like state; he'd been in his own little world, thinking about his upcoming duel – an amateur, he'd have him effectively beaten in half an hour – and not really focusing on Zane. So when, eventually, the words broke the silence in the room, Aster was somewhat startled; he was relieved that Zane was still facing away from him, so that he couldn't have seen him start.

"Yeah" he answered plainly. "He said you had to talk to me."

There was no reply.

"Plus, I owed him a favour." Aster, impatient now, rose from his seat and walked over to stand beside Zane, keeping his body parallel to the wheelchair and his eyes forward, never once looking at the other duellist. "So talk."

There was a vague grunt in response, but no reply forthcoming, much to Aster's annoyance – Jaden had asked him to come here to repay a small favour, claiming that Zane had to talk to him, and now he was here, Zane wasn't exactly talkative; not that mindless chatter had ever been Zane's thing, of course, but he was never rude enough to not speak to a guest he'd personally invited – or at least, asked another friend to invite on his behalf. Aster could only assume that this was the case; he didn't actually know.

With an irritated sigh, Aster glanced down at the other; he found it odd that he had to look down to speak face-to-face with Zane now. Although he'd heard from Jaden, who'd heard from Syrus, that Zane could physically get up and walk around, he knew that Zane's doctors had advised strongly against it for the time being.

Zane wasn't looking at him. His teal eyes were, in fact, closed, although it didn't even cross Aster's mind that the other might have fallen asleep – he knew, from Zane's silent presence, that the duellist was perfectly awake. However, Aster kept his own eyes on the other, waiting as patiently as was possible. He was not going to start an argument. Even though this was Zane Truesdale, Aster's morals prevented him from arguing with someone who was in a wheelchair – even though he knew that, if so inclined, Zane would get up and put him on the ground; he didn't doubt that Zane could still summon up the strength to knock Aster down.

After all, he had once before. Only once, but that was more than enough. Aster did not like to remember it, but nevertheless, once he'd thought about it, the memories from his time spent with Zane in Dark World flowed through is head like a stream...

His one minor error, the one that had resulted in them being chased, almost captured. The resulting argument; the insults; the yelling. The slap to his face.

Zane hadn't really meant it. They both knew it, and they had both known it at the time. He'd just let his anger get the better of him and, in one brief half second of rage, his body had moved faster than his mind, and his hand had struck Aster across the face.

Now, Aster closed his eyes. He didn't want to remember the awkwardness with which they had moved around each other in the hours that followed. There had been no apology, no taking back their insults – instead, they'd just gone to bed and woken up in the morning, both with the intention of pretending it didn't happen; which was exactly what they did.

"Aster."

The teal eyes opened and Zane shifted slightly so he could look up at Aster; his companion wondered if it bothered him to have to do that.

Not granting the other the satisfaction of a reply, Aster just raised one eyebrow to indicate that Zane had his attention and interest. The other sighed slightly and then offered Aster the smallest of smiles – it was halfway a kindly smile and halfway a smirk.

"You know that I've stepped out of ... what I was?" Zane began.

Aster nodded; he knew what Zane meant, about how he had changed since his younger brother had inherited his deck and he had begun to construct a new one, about how he was different now to the man Aster had travelled with in Dark World.

"I thought I owed you an apology" Zane stated simply, looking back out the window. "A long overdue one."

Aster tensed immediately; there was only one thing he could think of that Zane could possibly be apologising for.

Another silence, a longer one this time around, fell over the two of them; Zane stared intently out the window while Aster folded his hands behind his back, his eyes closed as he waited for the other to speak again. Then he realised that this was Zane's apology and that the other duellist was not going to say a word until Aster had either accepted or rejected it.

This was about as vulnerable as Aster had ever seen him.

He reached out with one hand uncertainly, hesitating as to whether or not he should let it rest on the other's shoulder; unsure, he settled for letting it rest on the closest handle of the wheelchair. A short time passed before Aster sighed softly.

"It's in the past" he replied.

Zane nodded in response.

The words 'I'm sorry' and 'I forgive you' were not words that were ever going to pass between them, not so simply. What the two had just said was their way of saying those exact words, but not in that way; what had just transpired was the closest they would get.

Aster looked down at Zane once again, finding that the other's eyes were on him.

So the purpose of him coming here had been, in the end, to receive this apology.

Very, very interesting, Aster thought to himself.

But it was more than just interesting. He had come here so that Zane could make peace with him for that error, something that Zane now found himself disgusted by; Aster wondered why that, of all things, should stand out.

Perhaps Zane had never been into physical violence; maybe his fighting was truly all done through duelling, even in his darkest days – Aster had not expected that. Maybe he was wrong. At the moment, it just didn't matter.

His hand was still resting loosely on the handle of the wheelchair. His eyes met Zane's, and he felt his fingers close around said handle, almost involuntarily.

"Let's go out for a bit" Aster murmured, moving swiftly to stand behind the chair and laying his other hand on the parallel handle; he paused to see if Zane would protest, but he did not.

After all, this was Aster's way of showing that he didn't blame him for it – this was more than he could ever have hoped for.

Zane had come to understand Aster more than the other pro duellist would have liked to believe, when it came right down to it. They had spent enough time in the other dimensions, and Zane was very clever; by piecing together Aster's attitude and mannerisms with what he already knew about the boy's past, Zane had come to the harsh but true conclusion that Aster's past was not as glamorous as his appearance and ways might suggest. The boy had seemed lonely, like he was out to do everything for himself and not rely on anyone; whether that was an effect of his childhood traumas or more recent events, Zane did not know, and he did not want to.

What he did know about Aster was that while the boy could be forgiving, he could also hold fierce grudges, and Zane hadn't been sure which category he himself had fallen into. Not knowing was what had prompted him into apologising today in the first place.

And now that his apology, of sorts, had been accepted, there was little point in rendering it a wasted effort by turning Aster's peace offering away now.

So all Zane did was nod, letting the other know that he did not protest to taking an outing with Aster. Part of him was uncomfortable, for lack of a better word, with the idea that Aster Phoenix was going to wheel him around – where was an unknown matter for the time being – but he managed, with some effort, to swallow his pride. He didn't want to worry his friends or his brother by trying to walk with Aster; it would only damage his heart further, and the doctors had advised against it. For the first time in a long time, he would just let someone else take charge.

Who knew, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Please R&R