JC: I love ZEXAL so far. Sure, not all episodes are up to my taste, but it's not half bad at all. After watching ZEXAL the other day, I decided to watch a random Korean Dramas because my cousin seemed so psyched about it. Some of the scenes there actually gave me the idea for this chapter. There may be some clichés here. But all stories have their usual clichés. We can't avoid it. And I really did enjoy writing this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, people, or its characters, but the plot is mine. All rights belong to Kazuki Takahashi.


White Vow

Turn 09: The Storm before the Storm

"He's gone too far," Jaden grumbled under his breath. He descended the stairs and rushed to Alexis' side quickly. "Alexis, you okay?"

"Jaden Yuki, stay away from my daughter," Mr. Rhodes warned, but was immediately taken aback when Jaden glared at him. He saw the ferocity of Jaden's eyes. He felt as if he had been pierced by daggers. "You…"

"How dare you!" Jaden exclaimed in a deep, growling voice.

"I can't stand this," Alexis mumbled under her breath, grabbing Jaden's wrist and dragging him with her. Once the door was opened, raindrops fell onto their bodies. Alexis heard her father ordering her to come back, but she blatantly ignored it. In a few seconds outside, she and Jaden were soaked wet.

Noticing the dark grey clouds extending towards the horizon, Jaden wanted to bring her back to the mansion. But her current mood was as bad as the weather. "Alexis, are you—"

"I'm not okay," she interrupted.

"Sorry…Stupid of me to ask…"

Though her hair and clothes had been soaked that they stuck to her body, Alexis still walked forward in the rain, which was getting heavier and heavier by the minute. Jaden silently followed her, staring down at the hand tightly grabbing his wrist. The wind was blowing strongly, making it harder for them to see. Reaching a cliff, she stopped and faced the open sea, still not letting go of him. Jaden noted the height and told himself that if they were not careful, they could fall off. In addition to that, Jaden started to get the odd feeling that something was about to happen.

Jaden squinted against the wind blowing salt into his face and matting the dark hair to his forehead. He looked up at the Alexis, sighing at the depressing sight of her frown. She was sad and angry at the same time. Jaden was irritated as well. How could her father force her into something she doesn't want? It was clear to Jaden that Alexis wanted to be free to choose her own future. Tipping back his head, he looked up at the dark, rainy clouds. The weather was getting worse, as if it responded to Alexis' mood.

Pulling her hand from him, Alexis walked closely to the edge of the cliff. She stared out into the raging ocean, a sigh escaping from her lips. "I'm sorry for dragging you all the way here, Jaden," she said, peering over her shoulder to look at him. "Guess it was immature of me to run out like that." A small awkward smile had been forged on her face.

"Your old man is too much," Jaden replied.

"If I don't agree to his terms, then I have to give up college."

"What? But you love Dueling so much and—"

"I'm in love with Dueling and I can never give that up." She shook her head. "I don't want to give up my dream." Still, she'd anticipated better than this, and she had thought long and hard about what to do. She turned toward Jaden, sighing and smiling a sad smile. "Let's head back. We're so wet because of this rain."

"Alexis…" A tinged feeling of guilt overtook him. He thought over about the deal he'd done with that MAN and knew he was no better. Here he was, together with her, trying his best to win her heart for his own personal reasons. Yes, he did love her now, but he can't erase the part about the bet.

Just then, a flash of lightning, followed by a roaring thunder caught them by surprise, causing Alexis to take an involuntary step back. With the dreadful sound ringing in her ears, she found herself slipping and falling backwards. Her eyes widened in fear. Her heart seemed to have stopped. At the last second Jaden reached out for her and caught her by the wrist. But it was all for naught for the rain had softened the piece of land where they stood. It all happened in a flash. Before they knew it they came crashing down the cliff.

And then there was only blackness under the cold, hard rain.


When a shaft of lightning shattered the dark sky, Jaden jarred open his eyes with a gasp and a shiver. True enough, the storm had not ceased, but he was no longer out there in the rain. His clothes and hair were still wet, but he never thought he'd wake up to find himself in a cave. He wondered how he got there in the first place. He remembered falling down a cliff, trying to save Alexis and…

"ALEXIS!" Jaden cried, his heart skipping a beat.

"Right here, Jaden."

He swiftly peered back and saw Alexis behind him, sitting on her legs, with an expression mixed with concern and relief. Her eyes seemed to be neared to tears. Jaden wanted to touch her beautiful face when a stinging pain restricted his arm. Darting his eyes to the sore part of his body, he saw a blue cloth wrapped around his left arm and it was stained red. He must have gotten hurt when they tumbled down. But what about the cloth? Glancing back at Alexis, he found the bottom part of her skirt ripped. He then realized that Alexis had used a piece of her clothing to bandage his arm.

"Thanks, Lex," Jaden muttered, gently touching the cloth wrapped around his arm, as he smiled up at her.

The blonde sighed, lowering her head in shame. "I should be the one thanking you. You broke my fall…You protected me…But I got you hurt. I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't sweat it, Lex! I'm always ready to stick my neck out for you," Jaden assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Anyway, it's great that you found this cave."

"We got lucky. We could have drowned if we fell into the water."

Jaden chucked. "Luck's definitely on our side. But I must have been heavy for you to drag me inside."

Alexis cracked a smile. "Pretty much."

Thunder roared once again, and Jaden sighed. "The storm isn't letting up. Looks like we're stuck here for a while."

"Mom and Atticus are probably worried by now," Alexis said, then her lips curved into a frown. "Don't know about dad…"

"Your dad—he just doesn't get it. Yeah, the dude's rich, so what? As if you care for any of that… You're his daughter. He should let you decide your future."

There was slight hesitation when she responded. "Dad is dad…" She looked straight into his eyes, wondering what he thought of her forced engagement. Am I expecting him to be jealous? How silly… Reality reminded her once more of the 'friendly' relationship between them. I'm just a friend…Nothing more, nothing less… It was a depressing thought and she can't help feeling hurt.

"Atticus is lucky."

Jaden raised a brow. "Because he's not being forced? Your bro's a real charmer. He can date whoever he wants, whenever he wants."

"My brother's also engaged," Alexis said, heaving a sigh before continuing. "Handpicked by dad himself, the girl's from the Mackenzie Financial Group."

He opened his mouth to question about Atticus' feelings on the matter. Before he could speak, Alexis said, "They got engaged on Atticus' 13th birthday. And the thing here is…" Warm love and care filled her eyes as she looked at him. Her eyes were so beautiful. "Atticus grew to like her and she liked him back. No issues with their engagement. Right?"

"Hold up! So, why does your brother go on random dates with other girls if he has a fiancée that he so totally likes?"

"Enjoying life as a Bachelor," Alexis replied, giggling, "So he says… His fiancée doesn't mind coz she knows he won't get serious with them."

"Wow! That's a lot of trust."

"Besides, his fiancée's a really nice person once you get to know her. She may look like a total snob, but she's okay."

"How was she when your brother disappeared? Bet she was worrying nonstop."

A sad smile came to her face. "We kept it a secret. Dad handled everything."

Jaden figured her father wouldn't want his future daughter-in-law worried, especially since the girl was rich and all, which would only serve to boast their financial shares. Alexis' father was a true blue business tycoon. Jaden knew the man would never come to accept him. His family can offer nothing. It was his reality, which greased a frown on his lips. But his thoughts were interrupted abruptly by the string of lightning and thunder ripping through the air. "How long till it's over? I so want to—"

ACHOO!

"Huh?" Jaden blinked in surprise. It was a cute sneeze from Alexis. "Um…You okay, Lex?"

She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering lightly. "Getting cold, isn't it?"

Their clothes were still a bit wet and their thin clothes failed to provide the necessary warmth against the harsh weather. Part of Jaden wanted to pull Alexis into his arms, to hold her tight, and to keep her warm. "You're gonna catch a cold in those clothes," he said.

She caught her lower lip between her teeth. "Can't do anything about it. We're stuck here. No fire, no phones, only us and this cave."

"Alexis, if you get sick," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

His touch was gentle, but the warmth of his hand made her warm all over. "I'll be fine," she assured him, trying to stop herself from flushing.

Jaden saw her blush. Her lips were parted and looked swollen, as if they would welcome kissing, but she looked uneasy. He had been happy being with her all this time, in spite of the unfortunate incident. His right hand still rested on her shoulder. The thought of embracing her stirred his body to a probing hunger that was something new to him. This was probably called temptation. Atticus explained this to him before. Well, who wouldn't be enticed with such a beautiful girl right in front of you? The admission that he wanted to kiss her had not turned away. These thoughts sped swiftly through his mind in the split second before he said, "Hey…Wanna snuggle closer so you'll feel warm and cozy?"

She felt herself blushing more. It was an appealing offer, but she knew he was only teasing. "Don't kid," she said with a shrug.

"Who's kidding?"

Alexis' heart skipped a beat. "Look, I feel fine. I don't need to snuggle up." She tried to stand. However, a sharp pain in her ankle brought her down again. Judging from the swell on ankle, she realized that she needed medical attention but not the serious kind. "Damn…"

"It's all swollen!" Jaden exclaimed the instant he saw the sprained ankle. "When did this—" He then realized she must have sprained it during the fall. "And you had to haul me all the way here. Must have been rough…"

"Don't worry about it," she said in a low voice. She was quite astonished herself by the strength and will she displayed for getting them out of the rain. It's my fault why we fell in the first place…I'm glad he's not injured.

Not sparing a word, Jaden rose and took a peek outside. "Rain's getting weak," he said, walking back to Alexis. "Just a little while longer, then we're outta here. You don't have to worry about walking. I'll carry you."

A momentary sense of excitement coursed through her body. "No, you don't have to." Her ankle didn't look well, but she couldn't possibly burden Jaden. Plus, being carried by him would make her melt like honey. "I can walk." She forced herself up, trying to still her expression despite the pain.

"Alexis…" Jaden was really worried about her.

"I can walk. Just watch." Unfortunately, the pain got the best of her when she took a step forward. She upset her balance, causing her fall forward toward Jaden.

"Alexis!" Jaden exclaimed, catching her in his arms. However, something unexpected happened. Jaden fell backward. Fate must have tugged their strings again since their lips crashed on one another once more. "Sorry!" he said, gently pushing her away. His face was as red as a tomato. He thought Alexis would be upset, but she did not look appalled. "Alexis, I…I…"

Her lips parted. Her eyes were gleaming. She bent closer, looked him straight in the eye. "You don't have to apologize…"

His heart was pounding. "We're making a habit of getting into these situations," he muttered under a hot breath.

She sighed, ignoring the pain in her ankle. "I don't hate it. The kiss I mean…"

His heart was thundering loudly than the actual thunder outside. It was an amazing, unbelievable feeling to hear those words from her. She didn't hate the kiss! Yeah, it was accidental, but she didn't hate it! He could jump around like a lunatic now. "You know what? I don't hate it either."

Alexis rested her head on his chest, though it was unlikely of her to show this kind of vulnerability. However, she did not want to mask the feelings inside anymore. When she kissed Jaden a little while ago, her heart told her to let it out and not to hold back. "I'm glad you're here with me, Jaden," she said in a soft voice.

He felt a shiver up his spine—not the scary kind but the good kind. Every fiber in his body was enjoying the closeness. "Wow…Coming from you, Lex, it means a lot…" His body relaxed, even wrapped his arms around her frame.

She sighed. She had spoken the truth and it felt good. But it was getting awkward between them, so she had to drive his attention elsewhere. Pulling away from his warmth, she said, "Guess walking is out of the question…"

He had straightened enough and tilted her face up to his. "I don't mind carrying you, Lex," he said. Before she could speak, he raised a finger to her lips. "I'm gonna carry you, okay? End of story."

Well, he was persistent, and frankly she didn't mind. "So, I'm getting a piggyback ride."

Jaden chuckled. "No, I'm gonna carry you like a princess! Technically, being so rich kinda makes you one. Hmm…Wait! You're more like a queen."

She shrugged. "I'm no queen."

"Really? Well, a lot of the students did treat you as one."

"I never wanted to be called Queen of Obelisk Blue."

"Hmm…Skilled yet humble, I like it."

She turned her head away and blew her breath out on a sigh. "I just don't like to brag."

"Looks like the storm is over!" Jaden said excitedly, pointing outside. He had to admit getting stranded inside a cave with Alexis was more invigorating than he thought. And he was glad to see her cheered up a little. "Time to escort the Queen back to her palace."

Alexis smiled faintly, thinking of what awaited her back at the mansion. She dared not to face her father for now.


"Where have you two been?" Mrs. Rhodes asked with great concern lighted in her eyes. Alexis and Jaden had just entered the mansion, apparently wet and cold. "I was so worried. The guards couldn't even find you two."

"I joined the search too, you know, and it was hell out there," Atticus said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Alexis took her mother's hand and held them. "Mom, you're about ready to crawl out of your own skin with anxiety," she said, reassuring her with a warm smile. "As you can see, Jaden and I are both fine. The storm was pretty wild, so we took refuge in a cave." She'd rather not tell her mother about the fall or else she'll go ballistic.

"Well, not exactly fine…Alexis sprained her ankle," Jaden said, pointing at the swollen part.

"But it's not serious," Alexis added. "And Jaden got wounded too."

"We should get you two treated," the mother suggested.

Atticus wasted no time and swept her off her feet. He carried her bridal-style in his arms. "Time to head over to the first-aid section," he said, and Alexis simply grunted in reply. "I'll have the maid bring you a set of fresh clothes. Okay?"

She responded with a nod before she looked up at Jaden. He had valiantly carried her from the cave to the mansion without any complaints. It was strangely comfortable to be so close to him and his chest was broad and strong when she nestled her head on it. She could have sworn that his heart raced madly every step of the way. She had often asked him to rest, but he kept on going. "Thanks again for the help, Jaden. I must have been heavy for you."

"Actually you were pretty light," Jaden said, "and you know I'd do anything for you."

She was almost close to blushing if it weren't for her brother's goofy and knowing smile. She pinched his cheek, pulling it hard, and said, "Not one word from you."

As the siblings went away, Mrs. Rhodes gathered Jaden's hands in hers and expressed her deepest gratitude to him for helping Alexis. Naturally, a mother like her would be worried for her child's sake, especially if they got stranded somewhere in the storm. Jaden understood what she had gone through.

"And you were very sweet to her," Mrs. Rhodes stated, squeezing his hands gently. "Jaden, you have feelings for my daughter, don't you?"

His thoughts suddenly scattered before he found the voice to answer her back. "Um…Was I being too obvious?" he asked, and the mother shook her head. "Then how—"

"A woman's intuition," she said, releasing his hands from her grasp. "You also have this quiet intensity in your eyes whenever you look at my daughter."

Jaden blinked in surprise. "Wow…Mother and son are alike. Atticus told me the same thing before."

"Such feelings are not meant to stay hidden. If you love my daughter, by all means, pursue her. From what I can sense, you're suppressing your feelings. What's stopping you, Jaden?"

Jaden was awed by her empathy and sense. She could read him like an open book. "I've been friends with Alexis for 3 years, and she's one of the best things that have ever happened to me. I feel our relationship has recently progressed into something more. There's not a moment that goes by when I'm not thinking of her. It hurts me when I tell myself we're just friends because I love her. I don't know how she feels about me."

"Jaden…"

His hands trembled. "Should I tell her and risk something happening to our friendship?"

"It is simply because of that?"

No, it wasn't just because of the fear of sullying their bond of friendship. Jaden smiled faintly at the mother. He shook his head and blew his breath out on a sigh. "Atticus told you, didn't he?"

"Guess it would make sense for that MAN to be unpredictable. Surprise, surprise…Still I understand his reasons for doing this."

"He seems to think he's responsible for Alexis," Jaden added, and the mother glanced at him with a start of surprise.

"Oh, you have no idea."

"Huh?"

"People say he's cold and distant, but he cares for my daughter."

"Why picked me then?"

"He didn't tell you the reason?"

"No…No matter how many times I asked," he murmured.

"Alexis was thrust into a coma after a vehicular accident." The mother expressed discomfort in her face. "It was on the night of a company celebration. She was running a little late because of some things at school, so she told the driver to hurry. The truck came out of nowhere and crashed into the car. My daughter was in a critical condition."

Jaden felt a lump in his throat. "Coma?" He swallowed. "I had no idea…"

"Luckily, that MAN was just a few meters away from them. He managed to get Alexis out of the car and immediately took her to a hospital. Unfortunately, both drivers were dead on the spot."

"Don't let the cold, bossy attitude fool you. He can be quite soft when it comes to kids. I got into a car accident once when I was little. He was the one who saved me and took me to a hospital. I was told that he visited me every day until I woke up. He made sure that I was well taken care of. "

He remembered Alexis' words about HIM back at the wedding reception. The MAN sure knew how to care. His sense of superiority and arrogance usually causes him look down on others, yet he has a soft spot for kids. It was amazing to have such a powerful man caring for Alexis. "How long was she asleep?" he asked.

"About a month," the mother replied, "and it was such a big relief to see her open her eyes again."

"I guess this is what people call a miracle," Jaden said before she sneezed.

Mrs. Rhodes giggled as she patted the top of his head. "All right, young man, you better go upstairs and change. We can't have you get sick, you know." She used a loving motherly tone with him. "And get that wound treated."

And Jaden was reminded of his mom back home. "Yes, ma'am. I'll go change right away," he said, bowing his head before he started toward the stairs. He then stopped and looked back at Mrs. Rhodes. "If I tell her, will she forgive me? I don't want her to hate me."

The woman cast a warm, elegant smile. "She won't hate you. I'm sure of it."


Alexis leaned back in her bed and gazed at the humid environment visible from her bedroom window. She had been cleaned up and treated, and had changed into a white sleeveless hoodie and blue shorts. Atticus had been very nosy and kept asking if something happened between them in the cave. Alexis never told him any specific details. It would be the death of her if he'd start teasing her non-stop. Two hours ago, she had shared another accidental kiss with Jaden. At the time, her heart had been pumping mad. She'd been aroused. Not that she had any experience with this sort of thing, but she figured that any more intimacy would push her feelings out. And he was so sweet with her. He made her ache just looking at him.

The fact he had the resilience to carry her in his arms, in spite of his wounded arm, was admirable. He'd gone from the carefree, childlike boy to a serious, mature man. Initially she was attracted to his personality, to his skills and silly charms, but things had been different recently. From the day she met him in Domino City up to this point—everything had been different between them. Now that was such an interesting thought. Maybe she was the only one feeling this. However, she had to set her feelings straight. She needed to set hesitation aside and understand as much she wanted him not only as a friend, but as a man as well.

A one-sided love…I suppose…But I have to tell him or else I'll regret it.

Alexis shook her head. "Here I am…in love with him…And what does my dad do instead? Trying to hook me up with another man."

She wondered what Jaden would say if she confessed to him.

She felt her cheeks warmed, imagining the scene in her head. "Damn…" She palmed her face and sighed. "Now I'm acting like one of those heroines in a manga."

She swung her legs off the bed and carefully stood. A slight pain from her ankle emerged but not enough to bring her down. However, she kind of felt dizzy and hot. Maybe I'm just tired… She wanted to see Jaden, to see if he was all right because Jaden also got hurt when he fell.

And then he was there, knocking on her door. "Alexis, you okay?" he asked.

Her heart thumped. "Yeah, I'm fine. You can come in," she replied, maintaining calm.

He entered her room, all dry and dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a black shirt. "Lex, you're supposed to be in bed," he said, walking over to her. "You can't just walk around."

She was touched by his concern. "I was on my way to see you." She wouldn't let her feelings show just yet. She wouldn't let him suspect how her heart was beating for him. But I will tell him…soon…

"Well, it's a good thing I came here," Jaden said, lifting both hands to her shoulders. He gently forced her down to sit and stayed his hands. "So, did you meet your pops?"

"He went to see me a while ago…But didn't say a word."

"A 'sorry' would've been nice," he said flatly, "or say I'm glad you're all right!"

She fought an involuntary smile. In a stoic-father-type fashion, he came as close as possible to a concerned gesture without actually saying the words 'I'm glad you're all right…' Her father did care, though his pride and stringency would usually overwhelm the entirety of his character. "I can never hate my dad, but I'm not gonna let him run my life."

"But he's not going to let you attend—"

"He can't stop me," she stated. "His threats won't work on me."

Jaden chuckled. "You're strong, Alexis. Any guy wouldn't be able to resist you." He wasn't able to resist falling in love with her either. "I'm sure the guy your dad chose will come to like you." He felt like hitting himself for saying those words.

"I don't want him or any other guy out there," she said sadly.

"We've already established that." Jaden thought about her feelings on the matter and thought she would never see him as a man but merely as a friend.

She rubbed her cold palms against her shorts and suppressed her emotions from erupting. "I don't want an arranged marriage. I don't want to be forced. I…I already have someone I like…"

He opened his mouth, then clamped it shut. His heart plummeted. "You're in love with someone else?" He raked his fingers through his hair. He was both sad and jealous. It was a horrible feeling. Alexis was a girl after all, so there was nothing wrong with her falling in love with a guy. "No wonder you were dead-set against it. He's one lucky-guy—"

"Everything about him makes me happy."

Jaden's eyes shot wide. He felt a stab of pain in his chest.

She stood up, careful not to put weight on her sprained ankle. "He can always make me smile no matter how bad I feel," she said dotingly as she took a few steps away. "Sure, he's not the brightest bulb on the planet. He eats a lot and he can be quite reckless. But he's really funny. I could listen to him all day long and never get tired of hearing his voice."

He lowered his gaze to the floor. "Okay, I get it…You can stop."

"It wasn't love at first sight with him. But he's someone who always stood out from the rest."

Alexis had never talked about a guy like this before. Jaden felt like his whole world came crashing down. It was clear to him that Alexis had fallen hard for this guy. "If you love him, tell him…" he muttered under his breath. "I'm sure he'll be real happy." His voice almost cracked. He was indeed hurting inside.

"I will…" she breathed out. "Then I'll gladly tell my dad…that he's the one I want to marry in the future."

Jaden felt another stab. Narrowing his eyes, he clenched his hands. He trembled and burned with jealousy.

"Jaden, I want him to know..." A kind, caring smile appeared on her face.

And then he just snapped. He walked toward her, taking her into his arms. He registered no hesitation when he crashed his lips on hers.

To be continued…


JC: How's that for a Cliffhanger? Ending it up with a kiss! I might get tortured by this. The even sweeter things have yet to come. Next one will be the 10th chapter! I feel like celebrating. I already got a Hundred reviews already. I wonder how many more I'll get. I'm really thankful to all the readers for the support here. What do you guys think will happen next? Review, review, review! No flaming, okay?