Title: Love is Blind

Genre: romance, hurt/comfort

Rating: T for language, mild violence, and suggested themes

Pairings: JohanXJudai (hinted other pairings)

Summary: When Johan goes back to North Academy, he confesses to Judai just before he leaves. He then gets word at North Academy that Judai has fallen into a coma. Johan rushes to Duel Academy in hopes that Judai will awaken. Judai does, but when he awakens from his coma, he's blind! Is his blindness permanent or temporary? Can Johan cure it? And is it just blindness, or is Judai's life in jeopardy?

Me: The next chapter, and the final one!

Lucy: We are at the end here, so please enjoy this story! What will happen to our dear Judai and our beloved Johan now that Hibiki has been defeated for good?

Me: Read on!

Chapter Sixteen: Uplifting

After a moment, the silence was getting too much for Johan to handle.

Judai was staring at the ground with a vacant expression. He was still wearing his over-sized white T shirt and baggy navy pants. His arms were limp at his side, and he looked exhausted.

"Judai?" Johan whispered.

Judai flinched a little at Johan's voice and glanced up in his direction. For a moment, Johan could have sworn that Judai was staring right through him, right into his very soul.

"Can you see me?" he dared to ask.

"..."

Judai said nothing. He just kept staring at the ground. Johan felt his heart racing. He wanted to know if Judai was going to be all right. It was hard not knowing if the brunette could see him or not.

"No," Judai whispered softly. "I can't see anything."

Johan was genuinely worried now. "Juda-" He stopped when he saw that Judai was still staring at the ground. He calmed and tried to remain strong for the brunette. "Judai, it'll be all right. W-we'll think of something before it's too late, so-"

"It won't be too late," Judai admitted.

"Huh?"

Judai drew in a few breaths of prescious air. "I'm not in danger of losing my body function anymore," he told Johan. "I guess it was Hibiki who was making me lose all of that, but now that she's dead and gone, well, I feel fine. I'm perfectly healthy."

Johan frowned. "Then why can't you-"

Judai stopped and sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know, Johan," he admitted. "I-I guess it has to do with something besides whatever I was being infected with, is all. Maybe it can be cured, maybe it can't. Maybe I'll get my sight back, maybe I won't. I don't care, really. It... doesn't mean anything to me if I can't see anymore."

Johan frowned and shook his head, taking a step forward. "Judai, you don't mean that."

"How do you know?"

"Because I can see the tears in your eyes, Judai."

Judai stiffled a gasp and covered his mouth. Judai had forgotten that Johan could still see him crying. He shook his head and glanced away. He did not want Johan to see him crying.

He heard Johan shift his way over and lace his arms around the brunette. Judai stopped crying for a second and leaned against Johan's chest, recalling the feelings that he had whenever Johan was around. He recalled vaguely what the bluenette looked like. It was memories, all of it was just a memory.

"I don't like this," Judai whispered.

Johan glanced down at the brunette laying in his arms. "What?"

Judai sniffled and more tears joined those that were already falling. "I'll never get to duel again, Johan! I'll never get to see anything if I travel to another place!" he sobbed. "I'll never see you or my friends again! I don't want them to just be memories!"

"Judai," Johan whispered. "It's all right. We'll stay by you, we'll take care of you, even if you can't see."

Judai shook his head rather quickly. "That's not it!" he sobbed. "I want to see you! I want to see my friends! I don't want you to just be a memory in my mind, Johan! I want to be able to see you! I don't like this, Johan! I don't like it at all! I'm really scared, Johan! It's dark! It's dark, and I'm all alone here!"

Johan clenched Judai tighter. "You aren't alone," he whispered.

Judai sniffled and clenched Johan tightly. He was the only thing that Judai could find in the darkness. He choked back a few tears and whispered that it wasn't fair.

"You're never alone when I'm here," Johan said. "And if I need to hold onto you 24/7 just so you know that, then so be it."

Judai glanced up to where he thought Johan was. "Johan, I..."

Johan smiled, though he knew Judai couldn't see it, and brushed his fingers over the boy's cheek. "I'll say what I said the last time, Judai, and you know by now that I mean it. I love you," Johan said.

Judai's eyes widened, and he closed his eyes so another single tear could fall.

"I love you, too."

Johan smiled down at the boy and cupped his cheek in his hand. "And it's because of that fact that I will stay beside you no matter what happens to you, Judai," he admitted.

Johan kissed Judai before the brunette could say anything.

Judai was shocked, to say the least. He closed his eyes, however, and just let his emotions take over. He didn't care if he gained nothing out of it, because he knew that Johan loved him.

The kiss was short, but enough for the two young men.

When they drew back, Judai's brown eyes widened in shock.

Before him was what appeared to be an incredibly bright light. The brunette flinched and closed his eyes, and then opened them slowly. He heard Johan ask him what was wrong.

Judai looked up, and right before him, he saw a blue and peach blur.

As his eyes widened, the blur became more and more focused, until soon, Judai found himself looking at an incredibly shocked Johan standing in the middle of the nurse's office.

Judai glanced around in both horror and shock.

"J-Johan," he whispered.

The bluenette reached towards the brunette. "What is it, Judai?" he whispered. Judai looked up at Johan and smiled, a few tears of happiness filling his bright brown eyes.

"I can see you," he said.

Johan gasped and stared at Judai in disbelief. Judai nodded and reached out, touching Johan's cheek. Johan drew Judai forward and embraced him as hard as he could.

Judai hugged Johan back.

Neither of them needed to say anything. They were both as happy as they could have been. Judai could see, they had admitted their feelings, and now, they could be together.

But what had caused Judai's blindness?

They never wondered about it, and never asked any questions.

Because if Judai hadn't gone blind, then Johan would have never admitted his true feelings for Judai, and Judai wouldn't have admitted his to Johan, so it was all good in the end.

Meanwhile in Judai's mind and heart...

"Yubel! It was you!"

Yubel grinned and snapped her fingers, releasing the spell of blindness that had coated Judai for these past two days. "A-yup," the female Duel spirit said with a victious giggle.

She and Duldum were sitting at a table together, drinking some tea and eating cake.

Duldum was glaring at Yubel and had her clawed hand raised, her bandages eyes boring holes into Yubel. Yubel smiled and dismissed the wicked looks she recieved.

"Why?" Duldum yelled. "Why'd Yubel cause Duldum's precious Judai so much pain?"

Yubel shrugged and gave Duldum a victious grin. "'Cause Andersen wouldn't have admitted that he loved Judai if something like this hadn't happened. I just wasn't planning on Hibiki coming and causing his problems. But Hell, it worked out in the end, right?"

Duldum nodded, but glared at Yubel. "Yubel is so fucking impulsive..." she growled.

Yubel grinned and pointed at the cat spirit that had taken a human form a long, long time ago just so that she could be with Judai. "And don't you go forgetting it, Duldum."

Me: Ha-ha! So it was Yubel who made Judai blind!

Lucy: And Johan and Judai are together now, Judai has his sight back, and everything should be good from now on! This was the final chapter, you guys, though we are debating on adding one more chapter, we are not sure!

Me: Please review! Thanks to everyone who read this! You all get spiritshipping plushies!