A Hero's Future

Thanks to all those who keep on R&R! I really appreciate it! I hope you like this chapter of the story.

Waking up to the sound of knocking on his door, Jaden rolled out of bed and went to answer the door while wondering who would be awake at this time of day. Unbeknownst to Jaden, it was already midday and he had slept through the entire morning. Opening the door, he was surprised to see the person he was having the most difficult time understanding looking him square in the face.

Luckily for him, he didn't lose his composure while looking at her deep brown eyes.

"Alexis… What brings you here so early?"

Laughing playfully at Jaden's comment, Alexis began to answer his question.

"Jaden, it is 1pm. You slept through the entire morning."

"Well you know what they say? A good sleep never hurts!" Jaden joked, as he let Alexis into her room.

"Anyways, Jaden… I-I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch with me? I was in the area and I figured I might as well see if you were free…" Alexis felt her cheeks heating up, hoping that Jaden wouldn't notice.

Briefly shocked by Alexis' confession, Jaden paused for a second as the conversation he had with Hassleberry and Syrus played back in his mind.

"I want to tell her how I feel, but I don't know if she'll still feel the same way. It's been years. Man, dueling is so much easier than all of this!"

"Maybe you should tell her how you feel, Jay? I know it may be scary, but it's better than sitting here and worrying about it."

"I agree with the Private, Sarge! You and Alexis may have some things you need to work out."

"Maybe you guys are right…"

Snapping out of his thoughts, he saw that Alexis was giving him a sideways glace, remembering that he had not given her a response yet.

"Sure thing, Lex! Although I'll probably need some time to get ready, though."

"That's fine, Jaden. I'll meet you downstairs in forty-five minutes?"

"Sweet deal! You brought your deck, right? I still wanna duel you, Lex!"

"Of course. I'll see you in a bit."

Alexis left Jaden's room leaving Jaden to get ready. While she was walking down to the lobby, she began to wonder if this was a good idea.

"Was I too forward?"

"Does he feel the same way?"

"Will he think of this as a date?"

Alexis was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't even realize she had made it out of the hotel and back onto Times Square. What had snapped her out of her thoughts was a blue-haired individual calling out to her.

"Alexis! Wait up!" Syrus shouted as he ran up to her. Looking up, Alexis turned around and smiled when she saw Syrus coming her way. While she didn't get to spend too much time with Syrus after she had graduated Duel Academy, Alexis thought of him as an invaluable friend. He was loyal and compassionate, standing by Jaden especially during the tough times. Syrus was the type of friend who would supported and treasured his loved ones, regardless of how they treated him. It was his greatest strength, and unfortunately, his greatest weakness.

Nevertheless, Alexis viewed Syrus as an irreplaceable companion.

"Syrus! Glad to run into you again. I'm sorry I wasn't able to talk much with you and Hassleberry yesterday, but I have some time to kill now."

"Of course, I'd love to hang out for a bit!"

Syrus and Alexis spent some time talking about their respective lives and the adventures they had faced. Throughout the conversation, Syrus noted that whenever he brought up Jaden, a slight pink tinge would color Alexis' cheeks. He made a mental note of this, which he planned on asking her about later.

"Hey Alexis? Are you planning on seeing Jaden at all while he's here?" Syrus knew that she had already ran into him due to her conversation last night with Jaden, but he wanted to gage her reaction so he could understand her feelings better.

"Ja-Jaden?! Well… funny you mentioned it, I'm actually supposed to meet up with him in ten minutes. We're going out for lunch."

"O-Out for lunch?!" Syrus exclaimed.

"Yeah… why do you sound so surprised?" Alexis inquired.

"No reason… I just got a little caught off guard, that's all. I-I well…"

Noticing Syrus stumbling, it was obvious to Alexis that he was hiding something.

"What is it, Syrus?"

"Well, I was wondering, do you still have, you know… feelings for Jaden?" Syrus struggled to ask. However, looking at Alexis' face and how her features contorted when he asked, it was clear what the answer was.

"Well… It's a little complicated now. But, I guess you could say that I do." Alexis answered honestly.

Smiling brightly, Syrus was very happy at Alexis' confession. He hoped that whatever came of this "date" between Jaden and Alexis, it allowed them to define where their relationship stood. Syrus also felt somewhat guilty for probing, but his curiosity sometimes got the best of him. However, in this situation, it allowed him to understand that Jaden's concerns last night were unwarranted. Syrus just hoped that Jaden was able to understand the nature of the situation properly.

Alexis realized that she had to make her way back to Jaden's hotel room, so she politely excused herself from the conversation and headed back to Jaden's hotel. Meanwhile, Jaden had begun to make his way downstairs. While he was in the elevator heading downstairs, Yubel appeared by his side.

"Jaden, it's only been one day and you're already going out for a date with this girl?"

"I guess so." Jaden responded absentmindedly. Jaden began to contemplate everything that had happened since he arrived. He couldn't believe how quickly things had been moving with him and Alexis. While he wasn't one to get nervous, he did feel somewhat anxious about their "date." Jaden hadn't fully understood what Alexis was asking until she had left and he had time to ponder her question. It's understandable though, for Jaden it was quite "early."

Arriving on the main floor, Alexis was waiting for Jaden patiently sitting on a couch in the lobby. While slowly moving towards her, Jaden noticed that she look somewhat apprehensive as well.

Maybe she was nervous about their date?

Jaden decided to push all such thoughts out of his mind and told himself that he wanted to have the best time possible. Tapping her gently on the shoulder, Alexis looked up and smiled, albeit a timid one, and began to walk beside Jaden out of the hotel.

"Ready to eat, Lex? I can't wait to see what kind of food New York has!"

"Y-Yeah! I can't wait to show you around, Jaden."

Alexis and Jaden took off towards downtown, hoping to explore the heart of New York, as well as some unspoken feelings.

I know this chapter is a little shorter than the last one, but I promise next chapter is when things will really get good! I didn't think this would be this long of a story, but as I kept on writing, I realized that it would easily become a longer story! I'm trying to stay as true to the characters as I can. Luckily, I watched GX just this past summer, so the characters are still fresh in my mind to an extent. Some of you might be wondering why I didn't write Yubel with more anger towards Alexis. The reason why I chose to do it this way was that in the fourth season, Yubel was, for the most part a lot more relaxed and laid back than she was in the third season. She wasn't obsessed with Jaden as she was in the third season. I see her as more of a partner/guardian to Jaden than a love interest. Anyways, just wanted to clarify that. This might be my last chapter update for a couple days so I hope you enjoyed it!