Well, I usually don't do Jaden/Alexis, but it was requested by TFRiD Queen as a birthday gift. Hope all you Jaden/Alexis fans enjoy this!

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"Jaden, can I talk to you for a moment?" Alexis ventured. Her outward expression was calm, but inside, her heart beat wildly. She could barely keep her voice level.

Jaden looked up from his conversation with Syrus and shot her a grin.

"Sure! What's up, 'Lex?"

Lex. He'd been calling her that for a while now. She wondered if he was aware of the implications it carried, but she doubted it. Jaden didn't seem to know much about anything outside of dueling. It made her relieved and sad at the same time.

"Hello? Alexis? You there?" Jaden waved his hand in front of her face. She seemed to be lost in thought.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Jaden," Alexis shook her head. "Um, would you mind if we went down by the beach?" She didn't want Syrus hearing what she had to say.

Jaden shrugged, "Sure. Hey, Sy, I'll be right back!" he shouted to the bluenette and headed off to the beach with Alexis.

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Jaden walked along cheerfully, humming a tune. Alexis, on the other hand, was quite nervous. She kept rehearsing what she was going to say to him.

"Hey Jaden, you know how we've been friends for a while now...nah...Ever since that night we dueled, Jaden, I..." she knotted her brows in frustration. Everything she thought of sounded either too stupid or too forward. Her mind wandered back to the first time she realized the new emotion she felt for Jaden.

That night, when they had dueled, she saw him for the first time as a passionate fighter who cared deeply for his friends; not just another duelist. And the more she saw of him, the more her feelings grew; he was a skilled duelist, with courage and compassion, not to mention a sense of humor.

Next to her, Jaden stopped. They were at the beach. The sound of waves breaking on the shore brought Alexis back to the confession at hand.

"Well, we're here," Jaden announced, "what is it you wanna talk about?" he asked, smiling gently.

How Alexis wished that smile was for her in a different way! Did Jaden even know how that smile made her feel? She ignored the heat rising in her cheeks, and took a deep breath.

"Jaden, how...do you feel about me?" Well, she certainly dropped the bomb now.

"Huh? How do I feel about you, Alexis?" A look of genuine confusion flitted across his face. "You mean, as a duelist, or..." he trailed off, looking unsure.

There was silence, with only the sound of the gulls crying and the waves crashing.

Alexis felt embarrassed, but she wasn't about to give up. "Uh, well, as a person I guess...like, a friend," she tried to clarify.

Jaden frowned a bit, thinking. He was sure how to respond. It sure was a strange question coming from Alexis. After all, it was pretty obvious they were friends, wasn't it? "Well, you're an awesome duelist! You're friendly, tough...anyone would be lucky to know you!" he finished, grinning widely.

Alexis smiled halfheartedly. She didn't care if she was going to get rejected; she'd tell him anyway. "Thanks, but, well, what I want to know is...well, what I mean is...I...have feelings for you!" she burst out.

Jaden looked slightly shocked at the sudden outburst. "Feelings...for me?" he asked hesitantly.

Alexis could only nod.

"You mean, you 'like' like me?" Jaden realized. He wasn't as dumb as most people made him out to be. He was actually quite perceptive of people's feelings.

"Yes." Alexis whispered. She didn't know how he would reply. Would the feeling be mutual? Or...

"Gosh, Alexis. I'm sorry, I didn't know. I've never really been in this kind of situation before," Jaden said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. Alexis looked up, hope rising in her chest.

Only to be trampled by what Jaden said next.

"But I don't think I feel that way towards you. I mean, you're a great friend, and I love hanging out with you, but I don't think I feel the same way you do. I'm sorry," he apologized, seeing the crushed look on her face.

Alexis felt like crying, but she managed to compose herself. "It's okay. I...just wanted to know what you felt. It's not your fault," she reassured him. Jaden looked upset, but he couldn't think of anything to say.

Alexis felt as if she were in a daze. She heard her voice speak, far away, "We should head back now. Syrus might get worried."

"Right. Do you want me to walk you back?" Jaden offered. Alexis didn't want to see Jaden at the moment, but she knew he'd be hurt if she said no.

So she nodded and they silently walked back.

The sun was starting to set by the time they got back to the classroom. Syrus was sitting by the path on the grass, obviously waiting for Jaden to come back.

"Jay!" the short bluenette ran towards them and hugged Jaden.

"It took a bit longer than expected, Sy." Looking down at his friend, Jaden could tell that Syrus had been waiting for him to come back.

'Sorry for keeping him for so long, Syrus," Alexis apologized, "I'll see you guys later."

She didn't give Jaden or Syrus a chance to bid farewell before she left, heading toward the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm. She ignored the groups of students standing in the lobby, and made her way to her room.

"It's no big deal. He's still your friend. We're still on good terms," she tried to convince herself, "but I can't change the way I feel, and neither can Jaden."

She curled up into a ball on her bed, and hid her sobs in her pillow.