Notes – For the gx_100. Set during season one, starting not long after Asuka's duel against Titan and finishing not long before the graduation match.

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Two facts concerning his current existence played most prominently in Ryo's mind. The first was that the fate of the world waits for no man. It doesn't matter if it was your grandmother's birthday or if, in this case, your friend has just got out of hospital, if the world is about to be taken over or destroyed it demands your attention now. The second fact was that popularity always meant other people surrounded you.

Well, 'always' was probably an overstatement. He remembered plenty of times in his first year when Fubuki wasn't surrounded by screaming girls. It had to be because it was so long since any of them had seen him. Some of them hadn't even seen him before at all and didn't want to miss out on the chance to do so when Fubuki's reputation got out.

If anything Ryo was patient. He knew that the circumstances were out of either of their control and he was willing to wait for it to all settle down before he had a word with Fubuki.

Of course, Asuka came first too. She was Fubuki's sister as well as Ryo's friend, so he had expected her to want to be the first one to talk to him. She had been the one who had won his memories back from Titan after all.

So he waited for the all clear from her. But the Seven Stars were not defeated yet so the students' fight went on. When it seemed that all was well in the students' struggles she eventually came to talk with him at the lighthouse. Where they reflected on Fubuki and how Asuka had grown into a person who no longer needed protecting.

He mused, as the two looked out to sea, that it would probably be all right for him to talk to Fubuki now. But Fubuki being Fubuki, as well as having been on his feet and rid of his collection of female admirers for more than a few minutes, had already got an insane idea into his head that would affect the group. He'd decided to match make Manjoume and Asuka, by convincing Manjoume to steal the keys they had been protecting.

It was a good thing overall, Ryo thought, because this way the younger students got a chance to see what sort of person Fubuki was firsthand. They'd have to get used to his crazy antics for their next year at Duel Academia, so they should at least have some clue as to what they were up against early on. Though it still meant that Ryo could not talk to Fubuki yet.

And directly after Manjoume's defeat Kagemaru came, trying to abuse his power by awakening what they had been trying to protect. It was Juudai who stepped up to face him, as they all knew in themselves that it would be, and Kagemaru was defeated.

So the evil was finally stopped.

It had stopped in good time too, as soon enough it would be Ryo's turn to choose an opponent to face him in the graduation duel. He had a good idea as to whom he was going to pick for this honour too. But the fact remained that he'd still hardly said more than a few words to his best friend since Fubuki had awoken from his coma.

"I'm starting to think you're avoiding me Ryo," came a cheerful voice from the balcony of his room.

Ryo didn't have to look around to know whom that voice belonged to, but he did anyway. He was faced with Fubuki, pulling himself out of a tree in a monkey-like fashion. People were starting to treat that tree like something of a second door into Ryo's room lately.

"Are you sure it's not the other way around?" asked Ryo, though he smiled as he said it, "You seemed too busy meddling in Asuka's love life to talk to me."

Pulling himself up to his feet, Fubuki gave a dramatic sigh and shook his head.

"No rest for the weary, Ryo. That poor boy was so helpless that it would be a crime for the magician of love not to step in and aid him in his noble quest."

"Noble?" It wouldn't have been the word Ryo would have chosen to describe Manjoume's pursuit of Asuka, but Fubuki had a way of making the truth sound glossier than it was.

Giving him a sheepish grin, Fubuki replied, "Well you get the idea at any rate. But more to the point, I really wanted to see you before you graduated. Everything's all go all the time, and I know you don't like crowds of people."

Ryo nodded, quietly relieved that Fubuki had come to visit him like this. Fubuki's life mostly consisted of crowds of people so it was hard to do more than hang around the edge of his existence and hope to grab his attention. Somehow Fubuki always noticed Ryo. Ryo was still lost as to what caused that.

"It's impossible to get privacy around here," agreed Ryo, motioning for Fubuki to join him in the room.

"I'll say, what with all this doom going on and my beloved fans following me all over the place. The doom I think we can put aside as being done for this year, but the girls are something that never rests," said Fubuki, "Which is why I had to catch you here."

"My room. Why is that so important?" Ryo asked.

"Well girls aren't allowed here. Or at least I don't think so. We get in trouble for going to their dorm so I've always just presumed it worked both ways," answered Fubuki, "Now I can get you all to myself."

"You make it sound like you're going to kidnap me," Ryo laughed. Fubuki was probably the only person who could get Ryo to laugh.

He only just caught the sly glance that Fubuki gave him to that accusation. It might have been better if he hadn't seen it.

"I really don't think your elusiveness has become that much of a problem yet," Fubuki said, and Ryo noted the 'yet', "Maybe when you get to the Pro Leagues I'll have to kidnap you for a bit of attention."

"Just try not to publicise your actions too much," Ryo said.

"Is that an invitation that I'm allowed to kidnap you if I want?"

"No!"

"Just checking."

The two stood, watching as the room was bathed in the pinkish red light of the setting sun. Ryo liked this time of day; he wouldn't turn on the lights until he absolutely had to.

"Next year it's going to be their year," said Fubuki idly, referring to Juudai and his friends.

"I'm glad they'll still have you there to watch over them for a while," Ryo replied, and he truly meant it.

"Who knows what you'll be doing next year yourself, Ryo," Fubuki went on.

After a moment's thought, Ryo said, "Probably not getting a minute's peace."

"Privacy's overrated. I've always thought," said Fubuki, in what was probably meant to be an encouraging tone.

"If you ever wanted to meet me there I'd make some privacy for you," said Ryo, who didn't quite agree about it being overrated.

"We already arranged that," reminded Fubuki.

"Fubuki?"

"Yes?"

"I'm not letting you kidnap me."

"Oh."

A pause.

"Not even once?" Fubuki offered.