Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 20

Plans And Doubts

Jaden had known from the time he was a young child that his friend was manipulative and could find ways – devious and cunning ways – to get what he wanted, even if he had to land a few low blows and risk losing more than he was attempting to gain. It was what had made Aster so successful in and of himself – his ability to get what he wanted. And for the most part, Jaden had usually gotten what he had wanted out of this and he and his friend had relished the perks. However, for the first time, Jaden was not so sure that Aster's skills of manipulation and his willingness to take risks were good things.

Now that he was on the receiving end – the one being manipulated – he was beginning to see that Aster was a monster in his own ways. He didn't seem quite so innocent when studied from this angle at all. Hardest to accept was that Jaden didn't even seem to be able to say 'no' to his friend; he never had problems with saying no to people but this was different.

Aster had given him a plan, one that couldn't be put into action until school was back on; since he was leaving on Sunday, Aster would not be around to witness the success or disaster of his plans. He was trusting Jaden to put them into action in the first place, too, which was something Jaden was seriously doubting he was going to be able to do. And he didn't truly understand why that was.

After all, his friend's plans, in all honesty, were not anything outrageous. When Aster had volunteered a plan to help change Jesse's mind, Jaden had almost expected to be told to waltz up to him in the canteen at school and make out with him; something as humiliating and outgoing as that was not out of Aster's league or mind. However, the plan he had put forth was simple. Or at least it sounded simple.

Change his mind. Make him change his mind. Force him to change his mind.

The one hitting Aster had not given him was the tools to do this – how the hell was he going to manipulate a probably entirely straight man into having second thoughts? When questioned, Aster had simply shrugged and told him to charm Jesse. The problem with that was that Jaden didn't know how to exactly 'charm' anyone; romance had never been a part of his life until now and from what he had experienced thus far, he hadn't been missing much.

/

It was just gone midnight and the two boys were still awake, one fretting miserably and the other grudgingly trying to calm him down so that they could sleep.

"It's not going to work. What do you mean flirt with him? I don't know how to flirt!"

Aster groaned, turning over. "How can you not know how to flirt? Just talk to him but throw in a bit of suggestiveness, get a bit too close." He smirked. "Bat your eyelashes at him."

Jaden hurled his pillow at his friend, dodging it narrowly when Aster chucked it straight back at him. "Aster, you don't get it. What do I say?"

"Considering it's you, nothing" his friend muttered. "Just be yourself but make it look like you're interested. And for God's sake, don't copy all the crap out the movies." He elaborated upon seeing Jaden's blank stare: "Don't laugh at everything he says or tell him he's oh-so-funny or any of that fake stuff. Just be, y'know, natural."

Jaden nodded, trying to at least make it look like he was following these tips; he didn't understand this at all. How was this going to change Jesse's mind when his facial expressions had already told Jaden that he wasn't interesting in him in that way?

But he trusted Aster and his judgement; Aster could get any girl – and possibly any guy – that he wanted if he put his mind to it, and that was a skill that Jaden neither possessed nor understood. It wasn't as if he had the personal ability to correct his friend and therefore he also had to forego the right to doubt him. He truly did trust Aster.

The truth was that Jaden really did want to tempt Jesse to have second thoughts, if only for a moment. He had tried to forget about him and he had tried to ignore his feelings, and none of his attempts had done anything but made him feel progressively worse and worse. By this point, he was desperate and terrified of facing Jesse on Monday at school; if there was any chance that Jesse might be a friend or at least tell him that he had any form of attraction to Jaden, he would take that chance. It was all the hope that he had right now.

Of course, he was hardly going to force Jesse into it; he never could. Regardless of his own feelings, his own heart, he fully respected Jesse's opinion. He would never attempt to force him into being with Jaden. However, that didn't mean that it was out of order for him to just subtly try to tempt him anyway. That way, if he chose to be with Jaden, it would be completely his choice.

Jaden let out a sigh; great, now his thoughts had become a jumbled mess of multiple babbles, just what he needed. Not to mention, some small part of him felt guilty that he was keeping Aster awake as well.

"Jay?" His friend's inquisitive tone implied that Aster was wary of provoking an outburst.

"I'll think of something" Jaden said, yawning exaggeratedly. "Anyway, night."

"Yeah, night."

His friend left him for the world of slumber and after an hour of fruitless tossing and turning, Jaden resigned to his fate and allowed his thoughts to wander into the territories he had previously forbade them to stray to.

He dared to imagine that Jesse would tell him on Monday that his rejection had been a terrible misunderstanding; he envisioned a fantastical reunion; he allowed himself to hope that he could change Jesse's mindset to a positive one. At the very, very least, he dared to hope that their in-school reunion would not be an awkward one.

He knew as he lay there that he was wasting his limited hope.

/

It was unusual for Jaden to be the first one awake after a sleepover with his oldest friend; not unheard of but not the norm. He had gotten out of bed and was dressed – even if his hair was tousled still with sleep – by the time his friend was groaning irritably as he stirred from the depths of his dreams. He dared not approach Aster – a near enough lifelong friendship with the boy had taught him the hard way that Aster should be washed, dressed and drinking coffee before anyone attempted to socialise with him in the morning. Predictably he shuffled straight to the bathroom with a suit and a toothbrush in hand without so much as a 'good morning'.

It was only after Aster was properly groomed, not a hair out of place, and dressed in his classic silver suit and purple tie that he grinned at his friend and asked him if he had a plan of action yet.

"Oddly enough, yeah. I do."

If Aster was surprised, he managed well not to show it. "And?"

"I just have to be myself. Maybe with a bit more sparkle, but ... What are you laughing at?"

"Sparkle?!" Aster snorted. "Perhaps I should get you some flares with diamonds encrusted. We could mix some pink glitter into your hair; even get you some sparkly eye-shadow!"

Jaden pouted while his friend gutted himself with laughter. "You know what I meant."

"Yeah, but 'sparkle'? Seriously, Jaden?" He grinned broadly. "I always knew you were gay."

"Hey! I'm not even..." He thumped his friend. "What's wrong with that anyway?"

"Who said there was anything wrong with it?" Aster said, his tone far gentler now.

The two grinned at one another before beginning to make plans for the day – ordinary plans, consisting of a trip to town and all that jazz. Inside, Jaden was grinning; it felt great just to be able to relax and chill with a friend. With Aster here, part of Jaden was drawn back to his childhood even if his heart was still heavy inside his chest. It was a weight off his shoulders that he knew would return the moment Aster left for home, but for the time being it was massively soothing.

And so it was with something close to cheerfulness that Jaden and Aster walked around the town, visiting shops and falling back into their old routine of Jaden wanting to purchase everything and Aster finding it all beneath his dignity.

They had just sat down at a cafe that neither had even known was there to have lunch when Jaden heard a suspiciously high pitched voice call his name and he turned to see Syrus, who was sitting with his brother Zane and his new love Chazz Princeton two tables over from them; he hadn't even noticed them.

At any other time, Jaden would have been full of glee to see friends unexpectedly in town. But now, when Syrus started waving him over to their table, he knew that these new friends of his were a painful reminder of Jesse Andersen. He was almost tempted – almost – to leave the cafe altogether, but Aster was dragging him over, eager to meet the new friends of his oldest friend. And Jaden knew that, with Aster this in control, it would be impossible for him to even enjoy this day without thinking about Jesse and how much even the thought of him was hurting his heart and soul.

Please R&R