Fun and Games
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Yu-gi-oh gx; I do own my own characters though.
Summery: It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. After a strange moment with Sartorius, Aster sees a side of Zane he's never seen before
Note: Sorry it came so late! I've been busy, I'll try to be faster with the story.
Chapter 4: What can you do?
The court date was set for that Wednesday. I spent three days in Australia, waiting to go to court to testify against The D. I didn't go and see him, but Sartorius did, reporting the progress Larius informed him of. Apparently, on good days, the D could engage in silent conversation. I remember the conversation on Tuesday night.
"While Larius and I were talking, D was able to nod or shake his head… Not much for conversation but he can answer questions." Sartorius told me. I sat on my bed, flipping through a book. I laughed.
"And, this is suppose to make me feel better?" I responded. Sartorius glared at me, standing up from his seat.
"I think we need to talk."
"What is there to talk about?" Sartorius walked over, I felt his hands grab my cheek and force my head up to him. My sarcastic aura faded into a nervous one. I could see the fire in his eyes. How this anger only fueled him. Was he going to kiss me?
He only frowned. Looking into my eyes. "Why can't you let it go? You did that three years ago, why can't you now?"
"He's not dead…" I answered quietly. Sartorius sighed. "Besides, I never let go… I got my vengeance, but I didn't let it go."
"His body is covered with burns… He can't talk, he can only nod and shake his head. He'll be stuck in that bed for the rest of his life. Can't you call that even?" Sartorius asked me. I shook my head.
"My father died because of him, and I refuse to call it even until he is dead." I said. Sartorius shook his head, releasing my chin. When had it come down to this? Sartorius had always done dramatic things to prove a point, it was just the way he was. However, I was frighten he would kiss me. All the progress we've made in forgetting the confession would be lost, and I would be scarred again. I couldn't let it happen.
"I never considered you the vengeful type… " Sartorius murmured, sitting back down in his seat. It was quiet before I sighed loudly. I didn't want it to be this way. I remembered in the old days, when in a situation like this, Sartorius and I would have played card games and eased each other away from any and all bad things in our lives. Sartorius would try to hold the burden on his own, and I'd try to remove the burden all together, but instead, we would try to comfort each other about the world.
I hadn't made things better. Sartorius may have caused it, but I was being a bit of a child about it. Had I simply confronted his feelings head on rather then run off and hide with Zane, we would have solved this by now.
I closed my book, and looked out the window. I needed to think. Yeah… think….I thought about things between Sartorius and I…. I thought about things between Zane and I. What was there between him and I? We could barely call ourselves friends. Yet, a couple nights ago, he had been considerably friendly to me. He had taken me in after I had gotten drunk; he had made my birthday somewhat enjoyable before I lost it finding out that the D was alive. I owed a lot to Zane, yet… why did I feel that way? People have tried to help me before but I had never accepted it. I would shake off their help and move on without it. But, I had taken Zane's help with little or no fight, and now I owed him. Why had I done that?
"I'll be back in a little bit…" Sartorius said. I broke momentarily out of my thoughts and nodded. Sartorius sighed and walked away. I slipped back into my thoughts.
I laid back on my bed, flinching as I heard the door shut. I closed my eyes. Why was I tired? I hadn't left the room all day. I've been to Australia before… Besides, I really wasn't in the mood for sight seeing. I only laid on the bed and closed my eyes.
Suddenly, I got a taste in my mouth… Alcohol, was it? I felt something press against my mouth. It was so… so good to feel. It was light, yet it made its existence clear. Though I didn't know why, I wanted more.
My eyes slowly opened. I was kissing Zane.
I sat up in my bed, and looked around. No one was there… But, how could that be? Someone had to be there. Someone had kissed me…
Or was it the other way around? I thought. Had I kissed them? What did that mean? I sat on the bed, thinking it through in my mind… What did it mean?
Then a memory came in my head. It was blurry, and I could taste the alcohol on my breath again. But I could see Zane's features. He was staring at me sympathetically.
"I don't hate you Aster …" He had said. I gazed at him, confused.
"You don't?"
"Nope." He simply stated. His voice, his deep, drawing voice. I used his suit to bring his face level with mine.
"Then how do you feel about me?" And I reached forward and kissed him. Back in my own bed, I gasped. It wasn't a dream! It was a memory… I… I had kissed Zane on my drunken night.
Well…. This was just great! I covered my face and groaned loudly. When did my life become a wreck? The minute I turned eighteen? Or as it was looming? How could I have kissed Zane? We were barely friends, I don't know even know his favorite color… What did that have to do with anything though?
He kissed me back, I remembered that as well. What did that mean now? Was he… interested in me? For someone who was so sure about their sexuality, I had no idea how to react to another man. I first had proof of that with Sartorius… Now Zane sealed the case. I had absolutely no idea about romance. Great, this was the last realization I needed.
I flopped back down on my bed… I needed to sleep now. I was going to shut my mind off before it acknowledged any of my other problems.
"The court calls, Aster Phoenix to the stand." The D's lawyer announced. I arose from my seat stepping past the table where Larius sat. Sartorius offered me a small smile from where he sat. The bailiff held up the bible, making me take oath.
"Yeah, yeah." I agreed, sitting back down and awaiting the lawyer's questioning.
"Mr. Phoenix, what is your standing relationship with Mr. Gables?" The lawyer questioned first. Obviously, the stero-type that all lawyers are sleazy isn't true. But this guy didn't help that theory. I knew I couldn't trust him just by looking at him. Would the judge pick up that aura?
"He was my adoptive father." I answered.
"Was your adoptive father?"
I grinded my teeth lightly. "I don't consider the man who killed my real father my guardian anymore."
"Allegedly, Mr. Phoenix." I wanted to knock his lights out. I sincerely did. "Now, tell me, where were you the night Mr. Gables had his boating accident?"
It was no accident. The ship had started on fire due to the dark light. It was clear what the lawyer was trying to get at, and it was pissing me off. How dare he accuse me of starting the boat on fire!
"I was on a helicopter… Leaving the man who had killed my father."
"Allegedly." He corrected again. "And you didn't see the boat catch on fire."
I laughed humorlessly. "Quite frankly, I couldn't give a damn."
"So, you did see the boat then? Yet, you didn't think to help him… Isn't that technically attempted-murder?" The lawyer questioned. Man, avoiding oath was harder then it looked. I wanted to tell the truth, but I didn't want that truth to come back to haunt me.
It's alright Aster, your smarter then him. "Actually, it's attempted-manslaughter… since I was acting in the passion of the moment, but no, I didn't think he needed help."
"Right…" The lawyer answered. "Now, Mr. Phoenix, tell me, do you believe in his current condition, Mr. Gables could hurt you?"
My face melted, my superior cool face was long gone. He had asked the question that would seal my fate as well as the D's.
Sartorius must have realized the same thing I had. His face was dismayed, he had seen this coming. I should have seen this coming. But at the same time, I could feel something slap my face. Telling me the cold hard truth… The D would be free.
"He did hurt me…."
"That wasn't the question Mr. Phoenix… Do you think Mr. Kyle Gables could hurt you in his current state?" I think the judge heard my growl, because he spoke.
"Please answer the question, Mr. Phoenix. Honestly…."
"…. No…."
I cursed myself silently. The lawyer gave me a sadistic smile. If I had died, my dad would have lied on the stand to get revenge. My dad was the stronger person… he always… always was the stronger person.
"Mr. Phoenix may step down from the stand now…"
It was only an hour later before the verdict was read. Our lawyer had told us that it wasn't a good sign. I scolded him silently for being brutally honest.
"How does the court find?" The judge asked. One of the jury members stood.
"We find the defendant… Kyle Gables, guilty of involuntary manslaughter."
I closed my eyes. How could something so evil sound so harmless? It was a win loss kind of thing – they acknowledged that The D had done the crimes – including kill my father—but he could no longer be held responsible for them. Justice had turned her good eye from me… Justice was blind.
I was snapped out of my mind by Sartorius, his hand firmly on my shoulder.
"We lost…" I whispered, I could feel my voice cracking, even as I spoke. I felt Sartorius's grip tighten.
"No, Aster… What's the point of freedom when he can't even move from his bed? He's paralyzed, he can't move… He didn't win either…" Sartorius explained. I covered my eyes, trying to hide the tears that were breaking through.
"That loss of freedom could have happened to anyone… Even a good person." I shook my head to divulge deeper in my point. "He's been injured Sartorius, but he doesn't remember it… He will never feel remorse for what he did because…. He doesn't know it happened… I… I can't stay here anymore…" I stood up, trying to keep my face down. I couldn't cry in front of him…. I couldn't cry in front of anyone. "Can we go home?"
I didn't have to look up to know that Sartorius was grimacing. "We still have some last minute things to work out with The D and Larius… but, I can handle that, you can go home. I'll have the jet get you at the airport."
"T…Thank you." I said quietly. Sartorius wrapped his arms around me, trying to make me feel better. It did a little… but it didn't change anything.
It was funny how Sartorius hugging me felt just a little like home. Through out my life, he had been the one constant in my life. I needed him. I loved him – but not the way he loved me
Some birthday this turned out to be. It went from being one of the best I ever had, to being the worst of them all… Why was that though? What had made this birthday even remotely special enough to be close to being one of my favorites?
I went to the lake I loved as a child…No, it was deeper then that… Much deeper and only through all this pain had I allowed myself to be honest.
I had spent it with the person I loved as a man.