A/N: I know I haven't worked on this for awhile. I'm sorry. School has been in my way and I've been so damn tired. Anyway, here's the third chappie.

Disclaimer: I do not own GX

Chapter 3:

Chazz groaned audibly as he and Aster stepped into the mall. Aster ignored his obvious annoyance and discomfort and headed for the directory.

"Why the mall?" Chazz asked, shaking his head. "We're guys. We hate shopping, right?"

Aster refused to respond, only kept looking through the list of stores.

"You're such a girl," Chazz continued, whining. "Who goes to the mall anyway? What, are you looking for a jewelry store? A beauty salon? Somewhere to get your nails done?"

Aster continued to scan the stores as he replied. "You know, I thought the same thing of you the way you whine and complain."

Chazz's expressed morphed into one of shock, then, it melted slowly into a deep scowl. "Take that back, Asshole."

Aster failed to respond, just began to walk away.

"Wait, where are we going?!" Chazz quickly followed him. "Answer me, Asshole!"

"Not if you call me that." Aster told him, his sapphire eyes directed straight ahead.

Chazz stuck his tongue out at Aster's back. "Fine!"

Aster turned part way and threw Chazz a coy look from over his shoulder, his blue eyes slitted as he smirked. "I know what you just did."

Chazz scowled deeper. "What the--how do you--did Sartorius give you eyes in the back of your head?"

Aster shrugged as he stepped inside Dillard's.

"Who the HELL shops here?" Chazz snapped, "I mean, can't we go someplace cool if we're in the frickin mall? Like, I don't know, Spencer's? Hot Topic? Even frickin American Eagle, for Pete's sake. But a department store?! You sure are weird, Phoenix."

"And you," Aster informed him coolly, "Need new clothes. Something that says 'hey, I'm a classy guy.' You need to look sophisticated and rich, just as you are. Why fool everyone into thinking you're a slob?"

"Because I am!" He snapped in response, "And I'm proud of my imperfections! Know why? Because that's what makes me The Chazz!" He jutted a finger at himself, his nose in the air.

"Yeah, well, everyone's staring at 'The Chazz'." Aster told him, gesturing towards the occupants of the store. "That was a little loud."

"Um, oh, right." Chazz coughed. "I meant to do that."

"Sure." Aster rolled his eyes and walked towards the men's department.

"So, what exactly can you buy here?" Chazz asked, looking completely bored.

"You mean you've never been here before?" Aster did not look impressed.

"Not really." Chazz muttered, jamming his hands in his pockets, "My servants always bought my stuff for me. Or I went to Hot Topic or someplace else. But mostly I shop designer stores. Anywhere but here, really." He shuddered.

"You're not serious are you?" Aster asked, looking a bit shocked.

"Of course I am. Who buys their clothes here? Old people?" He laughed.

Aster looked a bit ticked. "I buy some of my clothes here."

"Oh…" Chazz fell silent.

"Whatever." Aster picked a black suit off a rack. "You'd look good in a suit."

"Uh, no. The Chazz does not do suits."

"Can't you just try it?" Aster asked, "You never know until you try."

"No. No way. There ain't no way in hell." Chazz snapped, crossing his arms.

"Come on, Chazz. Please?"

He looked at those blue eyes and couldn't help himself. "Oh, all right." He wanted to impress Aster anyway.

"I knew you'd see it my way." Aster smirked.

Chazz snatched the suit and went into the dressing room, all the while grumbling. Slamming the door of a room shut, he angrily stripped himself of his clothing and began to put the suffocating article on. Before he'd finished, Aster knocked on the door.

"What?!"

"Don't forget this." Aster tossed a tie over the door.

Chazz seethed inwardly. "Thank you, Aster." He said through his teeth as he took the accursed thing.

"You're welcome." Chazz could've killed him. He could hear the smirk in Aster's voice.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Chazz snapped.

"Of course." Aster didn't even try to deny it, which infuriated Chazz all the more.

"Asshole." He grumbled as he fixed the necktie tightly around his pale neck. He gave the collar of his dress shirt one last tug, then huffed indignantly and stepped out. "I suppose you want to see it."

"Of course." Aster smirked, looking a bit lustful. "It looks good."

"I hate it." Chazz growled.

"I know. That's what makes it all the sexier."

"You just HAD to use the 's' word, didn't you?"

"The situation called for it." Aster told him, now grinning impishly.

"You're such a sex kitten." Chazz muttered under his breath. "I know you want to take it off."

"Excuse me, Princeton, what was that?"

"Nothing." Chazz coughed, "Absolutely nothing."

Aster raised an eyebrow suspiciously, then shrugged it off. Grabbing a black dress shirt and a pair of jeans, he stepped into the room with Chazz. "Let me dress you."

"No way!" Chazz yelped. "I can't let you do that!"

"Yes, you can. Just let me. It won't hurt anything."

"I can't believe you." Chazz growled menacingly, "I can't trust you. You will too hurt me. I can see it in your eyes. Why the hell do you want to dress me, anyway?"

"I want to play with my little doll." Aster teased, undoing Chazz's tie and grabbing the ends, pulling him closer.

"I'm not your boy toy!" Chazz snapped, "Leave me alone!"

"Aw, but, Chazz," Aster pleaded softly, "It'll be fun."
"Fine!" Chazz snapped, blushing, "Anything to get you off my back, yeesh!"

"No, I think you want to." Aster whispered in his ear, drawing him closer.

Chazz blushed deeper. "Don't do that…"

"I can't help it." Aster murmured. "I love you."

"Don't say that!" Chazz squeezed his eyes shut, his heart thumping painfully against his ribs. No, he didn't want to feel this way! Tears stung his eyes. "You're just using me!"
"No, I'm not! I mean it, Chazz. I care about you. Just let me take care of you. Ok?"

Chazz bit his lip nervously, his eyes still tightly shut. "Um…"

Aster's voice grew softer. "Come on, I'll take care of you, I promise."

"I'm not the girl." Chazz growled, trying to sound threatening. "I can care for myself, thank you. And I won't let you dominate me."

Seeing his icy glare, Aster carefully constructed his next sentence. "Listen, Chazz, just let me do this to prove that you can trust me, Ok?"

"No, because it could be a test. First, it'll be this. Then, it'll be something else. And once I'm good and complacent, you'll strike. I cannot, and for that reason will not, trust you. Oh, and if anyone is going to be taking care of anyone, it will be me of you!"

Aster looked a bit disappointed. "Chazz…"

Seeing the sad look on his face, Chazz sighed heavily, his heart melting. "All right! If it'll get you off my back, yeesh!"

"Really?"

"Yes!" He snapped, "Now do it before I change my mind!"

Aster smirked a bit. "I knew you'd see it my way."

Chazz growled a bit as Aster unbuttoned his jacket and threw it aside. Then, he began unbuttoning his white dress shirt. Chazz stiffened as another article of clothing was removed. Smiling coyly, Aster ran a finger over the edge of Chazz's pants, then unzipped them. Chazz felt a blush creeping to his cheeks as his pants dropped, leaving him standing in his underwear.

Aster looked Chazz up and down before redressing him. After several moments of ogling, Chazz made a noise of protest. Reluctantly, Aster slipped the jeans up onto Chazz's tiny hips. Chazz glared at him warningly as he zipped them up. Still smirking, Aster draped the dress shirt over Chazz's unwilling, hunched shoulders and buttoned it up slowly, letting his fingers "accidentally" brush his skin.

"Watch it, Phoenix." Chazz snarled.

"Feisty, aren't we?" Aster teased gently as he buttoned the last one. "There. Now doesn't that look nice?"

"I hate it."

"Oh, well, I think it makes you look very sophisticated. Kind of urban--"

"You sound like my mom."

Aster sent him a frigid glare. "I'm just trying to help improve your appearance. I mean, your looks are fine, but your dress is atrocious!"

"So, what's wrong with how I dress? Too manly for ya, Phoenix?" Chazz glared at him.

"No, it's just so...nevermind. It's incapable of description."
Chazz glared at him. "Can I change now?"
Aster looked ticked. "Why? You look good."

"What, do you want me to walk out of the store like this?"

"Maybe. Come on, I'll even pay for it, just wear it out."

"No way." Chazz told him, "And don't even think about trying to change me. If you don't accept me for who I am--flaws and all--then I'm done with you! Chazz Princeton changes for no one!"

"Ok, ok, sheesh, I got it." Aster grumbled, stepping out of the dressing room. "Just do whatever you want."

Chazz smirked as the door shut. "Ha! Take that, Phoenix! The Chazz reigns victorious once more."

After he redressed himself in his black trench coat, he stepped out and flashed Aster a most wicked smirk.

"Don't go there." Aster told him, narrowing his eyes, "Let's just go."

"Fine by me." Chazz shrugged. "Now, we go where I want to go."

"Oh, boy," Aster groaned, "Here we go."

"What the hell was that supposed to mean?" Chazz growled, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing. Just go on."

Chazz sent him a suspicious look, however, he held his tongue. Aster groaned again when he saw where Chazz was leading him--Hot Topic.

"Not that place!"
"Yes!" Chazz hissed, looking devious, "I'm gonna have some fun with you!"
"But…"

"You can't say anything. You did so with me!"

"Fine." Despite his words, Aster seemed less than pleased.

Gleefully, Chazz dragged him inside and started pulling things off shelves. Aster scowled as Chazz took down a tight black T-shirt, leather pants, a studded belt, and a black trench coat. "Put these on." He commanded.

Reluctantly, Aster took them between a finger and a thumb, a disdainful expression on his face.

"Go, put them on!"

"Fine." Aster grumbled as he entered the dressing room.

He took so long, Chazz wondered if he'd found a way to escape. Finally, growing impatient, he burst through the curtain.

"Phoenix, what the hell--"

"Chazz!" Aster glared at him, annoyed. He was sitting down and talking on his cell phone.

"Aster!" Chazz snapped, snatching his phone and closing it.

"Hey, I was using that!"

"I don't care! Now you're not! Listen to me, put it on!"

Aster glowered at Chazz. "But, it's so…."

"I don't care. You forced your look on me. Now I prefer to get my clothes from designers, but this is the only place in the mall that has anything similar to what I like. The Chazz is not a conformist, not a slave to any style! I have my own style; I am a maverick!"

Aster looked at him dully as he said sarcastically. "What a moving speech. It totally had a lot to do with our situation."

In response, Chazz pulled Aster's coat, tie, and shirt off.

"Hey, what do you think--"

"Silence!" Chazz pulled the T-shirt over the struggling boy's head in delight.

"I don't wanna--"

"I didn't either. How does it feel?!" Chazz pulled Aster's pants down and forced him into the leather ones. Smirking, he buckled the belt around Aster's waist and slipped the coat around his shoulders. "You're hot now!"

Aster looked in the mirror, dismayed. "It's not me."

"I know, but it's hot. Just hold it a minute. Lemme get a picture…"

"No! Absolutely not!" Aster shook his head.

"Aw, come on…where's your sense of humor?"

Aster glared at him from slitted sapphire eyes.

"Ok, Ok, I get it. Go ahead and change. I've had my fun." Chazz relented and stepped out, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

When Aster came out, he quickly threw the clothes back on the shelves and dragged Chazz out. "You hungry?"

"Not really."

"Yes, you are." Aster decided, "You're skin and bones."

"Oh, Ok." Chazz finally sighed.

"Let's get something in the food court then."

Chazz shrugged and followed Aster. As they made their way into the line for Subway, Chazz happened to notice a familiar looking blond with who appeared to be Jaden. Squinting, he recognized the girl was Alexis. She was sitting with Jaden, and they were laughing over something, obviously ridiculous. Peering closer, he gasped in horror, seeing that they were playing with toys from Burger King.

"You've got to be kidding me…"

"What?" Aster looked over and stared. "Is that Alexis Rhodes? With Jaden Yuki?"

"It appears to be so." Chazz muttered, sweatdropping. "They're playing with…children's toys."

Aster shifted uncomfortably. "Why?"

"Probably Jaden's idea…"

"Yeah…um…this is awkward."

"Tell me about it!" Chazz laughed uneasily, "I hope she doesn't see me."

At that moment, she looked up, then blushed, seeing Aster and Chazz staring at her. Quickly, she hid the toy and looked the other way.

Chazz shook his head and turned back around to see Aster holding a sub out to him. "What the--"

"Try it, it's good."

Chazz sighed. "Ok. I see you're not gonna leave me alone about it."

"You're too skinny." Aster laughed, leading him purposely over to the table next to Jaden and Alexis. "You need to eat more."

"What the hell are you doing?!" Chazz hissed, blushing, "We can't let Jaden and Alexis know about..."

"About what?" Aster asked smugly, "There's nothing to hide. It's not like we're on a date."

Chazz opened his mouth then closed it, finding himself trapped.

Aster turned to Jaden and Alexis. "Hi, guys, what's up?"

Alexis turned very red. "Nothing…"

"Nothing much." Jaden echoed, smiling.

Chazz raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

Alexis scowled. "Don't we have every right to be here, just as you do?"

"Are you…"

"Am I what?" Alexis asked, giving him the death stare.

"Nevermind." Chazz closed his mouth, though he wished to ask desperately if she and Jaden were on a date.

It was then that Alexis turned it around on him, quite unexpectedly. "What are you doing here?"

Chazz could've died. "I wanted to get away from Duel Academy, that's all."

"You…with Aster?" Alexis raised an eyebrow. "What an unlikely couple!"
Even though she meant something else, Chazz still felt his cheeks burning. "No, no, no! You don't understand," He protested wildly, "You see, I used up all my passes, so Aster got me in good with Chancellor Shepherd and--"

Seeing the way he was reacting, Alexis' eyes widened. "Are you on a date?!"

"NO! NO! NO!" Chazz shook his head, panicking. "It's not what you think!"

"You know, Chazz," Alexis told him, looking ticked, "You don't have to lie to me. I'll still be your friend even if you are gay. And if you aren't, you know Mindy would've been more than happy to take you."

Chazz drooped. "Alexis…nevermind. I'll tell you later, Ok?"

"Ok…"

"Now that that's out of the way, I think you owe me an answer. What are you and Jaden doing here? Are you two on a date?" He asked nosily.

Alexis blushed. "Well, kind of."

"What's a date?" Jaden asked stupidly.

Everyone stared at him. He only sat there, blinking, clueless.

"Um, Jaden, you were the one who asked me to the mall." Alexis told him, "You should know."

"Oh," Jaden blushed, "That wasn't a date, whatever that is. I just wanted to spend time with the girl I liked."

"That's called a date." Alexis muttered, sweatdropping. "Besides, didn't you know what a date was back when I was in the Society? You thought we were going on a date…"

Jaden looked thoughtful. "Oh, yeah…that's right. I'm sorry, I forgot." He laughed good-naturedly, "Now I remember what a date is! So, that was a date back then, right?"

"No…"

"Oh…but…"

"Just forget it, Jaden."

Chazz rolled his eyes. "Another score for slacker. I didn't think he could get any dumber. Apparently, I was mistaken."

"Hey, it's not my fault I forgot!" Jaden protested, "But I remember now. Hasn't that ever happened to you?"

"Uh…no." Chazz muttered, looking dully at the slifer, "It hasn't happened to any normal person, only those with head injuries. Did you mom drop you on the head?"

"Not that I know of." Jaden answered. "Why are you being so mean?"

"Ooo, perceptive, aren't we?"

"Um…yes!"

"You don't even know what that means."

"Um, no, but when I find out, I'll let you know." He laughed.

"Just…let it go, Chazz." Alexis told him, blushing again, "And mind your own business."

Chazz scowled and turned away as they got up to leave.

"See ya around, Chazz, Aster." Jaden told them, smiling.

"Bye." Alexis grumbled, seizing Jaden by the wrist and dragging him off.

"Well, it seems as though this has become a date." Aster remarked, smiling a bit as he took a sip of his drink.

Chazz blushed again. "Um…I guess. I didn't mean for it to…"

"I enjoy spending time with you, Chazz." Aster told him, "Maybe we could do this again sometime?"

"Yeah, that'd be fun."

"After all, being a pro, I can leave whenever I want." Aster smirked at him, "And if you're with me, you'll get that same privilege."

"Really?"

"Yep. That's one of the perks to being pro. Now, come on. Let's just go back now. I'm tired."

"Ok." Chazz agreed, standing.

They headed for the door. Just as they stepped out into the windy afternoon, Chazz felt Aster's hand brush his own. Smiling despite himself, he grabbed Aster's hand. The two held hands the entire way back, unable to prevent how their feelings were deepening for each other. However, Chazz was not quite yet ready to accept Aster as his lover.

A/N: Ok, so that was a sucky ending. Ah, well, endings are hard.

Next time: (so I won't forget XD ) Chazz's reluctance to accept Aster or admit that they have more in common than he realizes prompts Aster to go to Sartorius. He and Sartorius get a little closer than he'd like, and Sartorius shows Chazz how Aster's childhood was just as messed up as his.