Title: After Sunset
Characters: Asuka, Juudai, Fubuki (mentioned)
Chapters: 1-1||Words: 1,500
Genre: Family, Friendship||Rated: G
Challenges: Diversity Writing: YGO GX canon: C38, starts & ends with the same word
Notes: This takes place after Hayato's duel against his father and before Juudai & Shou duel against the Paradox Brothers. Specifically, on Halloween night – Fubuki's birthday.
Summary: Asuka doesn't like spending her brother's birthday alone. But she doesn't really have any choices when she doesn't know where he is. But at Duel Academia, you're never quite alone.

Happy birthday, brother. Asuka stood where she could see the ocean. Perhaps if she stared hard enough and long enough, she would see him surfing towards her. He'd always loved the ocean – it was why she and Ryou spent so much time by the lighthouse.

But Ryou couldn't come tonight, so she hadn't bothered with the lighthouse and just stood underneath a tree near the shoreline, watching as the sun slipped below the horizon and long shadows stretched outward.

He would be – he was seventeen today. This was the first birthday that passed of his where they hadn't at least greeted each other. A year before she'd gotten an e-mail from him and a phone call that afternoon. She'd even managed to send him a small present.

Today she hadn't heard a thing. She'd talked to her parents a little, sadly informing them that she hadn't yet found anything about where Fubuki might be. She promised to tell Ryou happy birthday the next day and then she'd wandered down this way, hoping in the deepest part of her mind and heart that he would do as he'd done so many other times and just pop up out of nowhere.

Only the longer she sat here, the less certain she was that he'd turn up anywhere at all. He had to. He was out there somewhere. She knew that for certain. Juudai had found that picture of his and that sparked hope in her heart one more time.

He could have just left it there. He lived in the old dorm. It was sensible that he could've left one of the photos there. But she didn't want to be sensible, not right now. She wanted to believe in her brother.

Footsteps shuffled their way towards her and she glanced up, vaguely wondering if Ryou had decided to find her after all. It was the night before his birthday and he'd told her that he would be spending time with other people tonight. This was his last year at Duel Academia and he would want to enjoy it whenever he could.

He probably still was, since it wasn't Ryou that approached, but Yuuki Juudai. Asuka blinked as he waved at her. She waved briefly back, wondering what he was doing there. He strolled a little closer before he said anything.

"I saw you out here from the window." He nodded towards the Osiris Red dorm behind them. She'd not really thought anyone would notice her. Perhaps it wasn't a surprise that he had. Juudai noticed a lot of things that others didn't. "Everything all right?"

Asuka's lips twitched for a fraction of a second. "Yes. I was just thinking."

Juudai nodded, turning to look over the ocean as well. "Pretty good view out here. Shou would've come out but he's studying." A frown appeared between his eyebrows. "I think he said something about a test tomorrow?" He shrugged. "I've been thinking about that duel we're having next week anyway."

Oh. Yes. The duel to determine if he and Shou were going to be expelled or allowed to remain. She ducked her head.

"I would be your partner if I could be," she told him. "You went into that old dorm to try to find me." She hadn't been there since then. She wanted to; it still remained the only place that had even the slightest hint of her brother's existence. But she didn't want to go back there alone just yet.

But Juudai shook his head. "It's not a problem. Shou's going to do great at this!" A warm grin glowed across his face. "You just wait and see." For a second he tilted his head. "Not that I wouldn't want to tag duel with you one day." He crossed his arms, tapping the fingers of one hand on his other arm. "And with Misawa. And Manjoume. And – anyone else?" He shrugged. "That's what I like about Duel Academia. There's a lot of people I can duel here. Or duel with!"

She nodded. His enthusiasm for duels of every kind couldn't help but be somewhat refreshing. She made herself more comfortable, eyes drifting back to the ocean. The moon slowly began to rise, a faint whisper of silver light not quite fully revealed.

A long sigh slid itself between her lips. "Tonight's my brother's birthday," she said. "He's seventeen."

"Really? Cool!" Juudai's grin glowed once again, almost as bright as the moon itself. "Man, I can't imagine being seventeen."

"You'll get there eventually," she promised him. "Most people do."

Juudai made an agreeing sound. "So what did you guys do for his birthday? I mean, when he was around so you could do things?"

Asuka closed her eyes. "He loved to swim," she recounted. "We'd go to the ocean or to the swimming pool near where we live. Our parents would take us when we were younger, but when we got a little older, just the two of us. We always ate dinner with our parents, unless he was at school." She tilted her head back, remembering what it was like to see Fubuki in his element, coursing through the waves.

"Sometimes Ryou would come with us. His birthday's tomorrow." For a moment she wanted to add something else, vaguely recalling something that Fubuki told her. Someone he knew whose birthday was the second of November. But the name slipped out of her thoughts and she shook her head.

"Really? I wonder if he'd want to duel me again. A birthday present!" Asuka opened her eyes and glanced towards Juudai, not surprised to see how he glowed in anticipation.

"I think he's busy for most of the day," she told him, trying to let him down gently. "But maybe after your duel next week? You'd have to ask him, of course."

Juudai nodded vigorously. "I will!"

Asuka looked forward to seeing that again. Their first duel had been impressive enough. What would it look like now that they'd had the chance to take one another's measure?

Silence held between them for a several long minutes. Finally Asuka glanced at her PDA, wincing at the time. "I need to get back over to the dorm. It's almost curfew."

Juudai settled himself down cross-legged on the grass. "I think I'm going to stay here for a while. It's a nice night."

Right, the Osiris Red dorm didn't have a curfew. She envied him that for a few moments.

"Have fun," she said, wishing for a few seconds that she had her own duel disk and deck with her. If they'd had the chance for a duel, it might have been interesting. But she'd left hers in her dorm room. She hadn't thought she'd meet someone that she wanted to duel. Probably she should have known better.

Juudai nodded, leaning his head against the tree she'd stood under. "I always do." He glanced over at her. "You know, you should probably buy him a present. I bet he'd like that."

Asuka hadn't thought about that. Of course she couldn't give it to Fubuki but she could have it waiting for him for whenever he did come back. Not a bad idea at all.

She wanted to thank Juudai, but he waved it off before she could form the words, yawning heavily, and Asuka wondered how long it would be until he fell asleep.

She headed back towards Obelisk Blue, thoughts turning once more to her brother. He was out there somewhere. She'd never forget that. Where he might be and what he was doing she had no idea. But he was probably making trouble for anyone he met and doing his level best to have a good time. What else was he going to do? He was Fubuki, after all. Having a good time was what he did. He just wasn't having it with her right now.

Now what could she get him? He'd always enjoyed new booster packs but those didn't feel right. Cards were nice but not the right gift, not for this. Maybe she'd call their parents again and ask what they thought. Or she could talk to Ryou. Perhaps she'd think of something to get him as well. He deserved a good present.

Anyway, whatever she ended up getting for her brother, she would keep it safe until she could hand it to him in person. It would hardly be the first time that gifts had been exchanged between them when it actually wasn't a gift-giving occasion. It would hardly be the last, either. She could already imagine the way his eyes would light up when she handed him a gift, and how he'd gleefully tear into it, the way he always did. She put in all the effort to wrap a gift and he tore it apart in seconds.

She still couldn't think of exactly what the present would be. But whatever it was, she was determined that it would be something that would make her long-missing brother extremely happy.

The End

Notes: Fubuki would be the most difficult and the easiest person to shop for at the same time. But I trust Asuka found him something that he loved!