A Sleeping Gem
5 times Jaden watched Jesse sleep and one time he joined him,
Pairing: Spiritshipping
Usage of English dub names, spoilers for all of season 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX
~~1~~
Jaden finally looked up from his deck, he and Jesse had met on the roof of Duel Academy to work on their deck's together. Jaden noticed that the sun was setting below the horizon, creating nice shades of pinks and oranges over the skyline. Jaden opened his mouth to comment on the pretty sky but his words died in his mouth when he turned his attention to Jesse. The teal haired dualist had his arms crossed behind his head and one leg propped up, but his face was relaxed, his eyes closed and lips slightly parted as he breathed deeply and evenly in his slumber.
"Oh," Jaden breathed out as he was suddenly hit with the realization that Jesse was extremely cute like this. Jaden felt his cheeks heat up and he quietly slapped them as he squeezed his eyes closed. This was a familiar feeling, but different somehow. With Jesse, everything was easy and familiar so Jaden had just accepted they were going to be best friends now, but these thoughts and the racing of his heart were not something that went hand in hand with one's best friend.
Jaden looked at his PDA for the time before looking back at Jesse's slumbering form. He huffed quietly and found himself laying back, staring up at few seagulls that were circling overhead and decided that they could stay on the roof like this for a while longer.
~~2~~
"Hey Jesse, check out this new combo I worked out…?" Jaden twisted his torso around from where he was sitting cross-legged on the floor of his dorm room. Sryus and Hasselberry were out someplace else and Jesse had stayed behind.
"Oh, again huh?" Jade murmured, a smile appearing on his lips as he noticed Jesse was totally passed out. Jesse was curled up on his side, an arm slung protectively around Ruby's own curled form as the duel spirit slumbered peacefully next to his owner/friend.
"Do you ever get any sleep?" Jaden asked quietly as he picked up the discarded blanket and gently draped it over his best friend's sleeping form. Jaden swallowed hard as his fingers brushed over Jesse's soft cheek as he made sure the blanket was covering his shoulders. Jesse just looked so peaceful like this and somehow younger than he did awake. Jaden withdrew his hand to press it to his own chest, he could feel his heart pounding against his rib cage and his cheeks again took on a familiar heat as he realized how soft Jesse's skin was and how good he looked. Asleep on Jaden's bunk, looking like he belonged there and something stirred in the back of Jaden's mind.
"Oh man," Jaden whispered as he sank down onto the ground, resting his back against the side of his bunk and brought his knees to his chest in order to rest his forehead against the tops of them.
The room fell silent save for the soft inhales and exhales from Jesse and the soft purring that came from Ruby. Jaden let himself bask in the peace for once, it wasn't often he got a moment like this at Duel Academy and he couldn't imagine a more peaceful moment than the one right now.
~~3~~
Jaden rubbed at his heavy eyes, fighting back a yawn as he scanned the hallway that he and Jesse were guarding for duel ghouls. It was empty and safe for the moment, but the tension was high as that could change at any moment. He was happy that Jesse had volunteered to stay with him for this shift; otherwise Jaden knew he would be asleep right now without question. Jesse's presence at his side made all the difference.
Jaden jolted out of his thoughts when a warm, weight pressed against his side and hair brushed against his neck. Jaden's eyes went wide as he slowly turned his head and looked down to his shoulder. Jesse was slumped against his side, one arm across his stomach and one resting against Jaden's thigh. His eyes were closed and cheeks flushed as he breathed softly.
"Oh Jess," Jaden couldn't help the smile that spread over his lips. They may be stuck in this alternate dimension but seeing Jesse so relaxed and stress-free in his sleep made Jaden feel less stressed out. This seemed to be a common effect that Jesse had on Jaden nowadays. Jaden wiggled his arm free and slung it over Jesse's shoulders, pulling the other duelist close and gave into temptation by resting his cheek atop of those soft, teal locks of hair.
Jaden let out a soft exhale as Jesse's very presence soothed his very being, like a piece of him, had been restored and he found himself no longer worried about the duel ghouls that could be around every corner. With Jesse peacefully sleeping at his side, Jaden knew he could handle anything that thrown at him if it meant to keep Jesse's sleep peaceful and uninterrupted.
~~4~~
Jaden looked up from where he was clutching the Crystal Beasts deck tightly to the main building on the island that lay below the cliff edge he had reappeared on.
"Do you think he is still here? That he hadn't gone back to Dual Academy North yet?" Jaden asked, suddenly very concerned that he had taken too long, re-connecting with Yubel and had missed Jesse completely.
"No, he is still here. His soul is waiting to be reunited with his Beasts." Yubel assured Jaden, appearing in her astral form behind the brown haired teen.
"Let's not keep him waiting any longer then," Jaden decided and the deck in his palm glowed as the Beasts within agreed with him.
Sneaking into the hospital wing without being seen was now a piece of cake thanks to his reawaken powers of Darkness. He wanted to reunite with his friends, but seeing Jesse and reuniting the Beasts with their owner/friend was his first priority.
It was the middle of the night when Jaden slipped into the hospital room. The lights were dim and in the first bed, tucked tightly into stark white bed sheets was a sleeping Jesse. His right arm was laying on top of the sheets as it had an IV inserted into the elbow; Jesse was painfully pale even against the white sheets. Jaden gently set the deck down onto the side table and smiled when Ruby instantly appeared and curled up against Jesse's side, crooning happily that she was reunited with Jesse.
"He will recover Jaden, it will not be easy but he will," Yubel told Jaden from within his mind, guilt filling her voice at what she had done to Jaden's chosen.
"He'll be fine, he is stronger than anyone gives him credit for." Jaden murmured, as he no longer resisted the urge to trace Jesse's cheek and stroked Jesse's soft hair. The familiar calming sensation spread through his whole being and he knew Yubel felt it as well as they were now one. Jaden stayed like that for a moment, unable to tear himself away from the slumbering teal teen, basking in the fact they both were alive and back home safely.
"Sleep well Jesse," Jaden pressed a soft kiss to Jesse's cheek before stepping back into the shadows of the room, disappearing from the room completely as the night nurse walked in to check in on Jesse. She found herself smiling when she spotted the smile that was lingering on Jesse's face and a deck sitting on the side table.
~~5~~
"You should visit him during the day when he is awake if you want to see him so badly," Yubel grumbled as she floated behind Jaden as the brunet stepped out of the shadows of Jesse's room. It had been a couple years since everything that happened at Duel Academy and Jesse was an up and coming star on the pro circuit while Jaden and Yubel traveled the world, helping where they could and learning whatever they could get their hands on.
"It's better this way," Jaden whispered back before turning his attention to the teal haired man who was sprawled across his bed. His feet tangled the bed sheets and sweat coated his skin, his face that was usually so peaceful and calm was screwed up and Jesse was gasping like he was in pain as his eyes moved rapidly beneath his eyelids.
"A nightmare," Yubel frowned as Jaden hurried to Jesse's side and Ruby looked up at him giving a sad trill as her tail drooped.
"It's okay Ruby, I'll see if I can help." Jaden petted Ruby's head comfortingly before he took a steadying breath and cupped Jesse's face between his palms. He let his eyes turn a smoldering gold and darkness seeped from his palms.
Jesse inhaled sharply in his sleep as slowly a dark outline covered his entire body as Jaden concentrated and slowly Jesse's face became relaxed as the nightmare was chased away by the gentle darkness.
Jesse hummed and absently leaned into Jaden's touch as his body slumped against the mattress, fully relaxed and no longer caught in the throes of a nightmare. Jaden let the darkness recede just enough but didn't remove his palms from Jesse's face. He just stared down at Jesse's sleeping face before he jerked himself out of the trance-like state and stepped away from the bed.
"Jaden," Yubel said softly and Jaden just shook his head and with one last look at Jesse's sleeping form, he stepped back into the darkness and let it swallow him whole even though he wanted nothing but to lean down and see if Jesse's lips were as soft as they looked.
~~+1~~
Jaden found himself stepping back into Jesse's room not two weeks later. He had tried to keep his mind off of Jesse for that long, but he failed and he had to see the other even if it was just when the emerald eyed man was sleeping. Jaden felt all his stress fade from his body when his eyes landed on Jesse's curled up form on his bed, face calm and peaceful in his nightmare free slumber.
Jaden's feet carried him over to the side of Jesse's bed and his hand reached down of its own accord to cup the teal-haired man's cheek lovingly. Jaden softly rubbed his thumb over the arc of his cheek as he drank in the sight of Jesse, like a man who had been dying of thirst.
"Jaden," Jesse breathed out, eyes still closed and Jaden froze. He must be dreaming, that had to be the only conclusion.
"Jaden… Stay this time," Jesse breathed out again, this time his eyes were open and those gem-like eyes were staring up at him.
"Uh," Jaden found himself lost for words and unable to move as Jesse reached up and placed his hand over Jaden's hand on his cheek.
"Stay, I want to wake up and see you next to me," Jesse said softly as he kept staring at Jaden.
"If you want me to…" Jaden found himself saying.
"I want you Jaden, always have." Jesse murmured as he lifted Jaden's hand off his cheek and pressed a light kiss to his palm.
"Me too," Jaden choked out and quickly shed his shoes and jacket when Jesse released his hand and pulled back the sheets in an invitation.
"Much better," Jesse sighed happily as Jaden slipped into bed and Jesse all but wrapped his arms around him like an octopus, head resting on Jaden's chest.
"You said it," Jaden felt like jelly now, Jesse's comforting weight and heat against his body felt like heaven and he only wished he had known cuddling with Jesse would have felt this good sooner.
"Promise you will be here when I wake up this time?" Jesse asked softly as he propped himself up to look at Jaden sternly.
"I promise," Jaden found himself agreeing and let out a small gasp when Jesse leaned up and sealed their lips together in the kiss that Jaden had been wanting for years.
"Good," Jesse smiled brightly at Jaden before Jaden cupped his face between his hands again and kissed him soundly, not wanting to give up this for anything and if Yubel hummed pleased in the back of his mind then no one had to know.