Story: Foreign Customs||Chapter: Promise of the Future
Romance: Ryou x Asuka
Chapters: 3-3||Words: 7,717||Total: 22,831
Genre: Romance||Rated: PG-13
Summary: While in California for a tournament held by Industrial Illusions, Asuka runs into someone she hasn't seen in sometime: Marufuji Ryou. They have a lot to talk about, too.
The food was good, just different from what she was really used to. She was used to using more utensils than chopsticks, so even that didn't bother her. The drinks were also different. All in all, it was one of the things that traveling abroad was supposed to be: different. Interesting. One of those 'learning experiences'.
Asuka still couldn't get her mind wrapped around the fact she was going to be dueling Ryou, however. The food gave her something else to think about, so that was what she did think about. The price was a little startling as well. She'd never imagined one could get beef so inexpensively, and to have it be that good as well wasn't something she was used to.
"You're thinking about our duel," Ryou said quietly from the other side of the table. She looked up and nodded a little. There was no reason to deny it, after all. It was almost the only thing that she'd thought about since they'd seen their names up there.
"I'm not sure what to think about it, honestly," she admitted, carefully slicing off another piece of meat and examining it on the end of her fork before she put it into her mouth. It was delicious; beyond anything she could remember having. She wished it were possible to get things like this back home.
Ryou bent his head a little, his attention as much on the food as anything else. He hadn't spoken about the duel destined for the next day either. Neither of them had been able to talk about anything related to Duel Monsters that whole evening. Other things had filled their conversations: old friends, family members, adventures past and present, and things undreamed of but hoped for.
I think I like this kind of talking. Dueling meant everything to her, but there were still times she wanted to think and talk about other things. Ryou had to feel the same way. If he hadn't, she knew he would have already changed the subject to something else, to something he wanted to talk about. He was never one to let a conversation go in a way he didn't want it to.
Still, the duel to come hung over the two of them, whether they chose to pay attention to it or not.
"Neither am I," Ryou said at last. "I don't think I've ever even considered dueling you."
Asuka had no idea of how to take that. Was she just not on his level or had it not crossed his mind for some other reason? If it was the latter, then what would the reason be? Am I on his level? Ryou was one of the greats. She knew she was good. She had to be, everything that had happened to the both of them while they were in school together and afterwards said it. But that didn't mean she was like him.
"Neither have I," she said, stirring her peas around a little with her fork. "You've always had someone else who wanted to do that, and I think this is the first time we've been in a tournament together anyway."
There was a quiet nod from him as she fell silent. She wanted to say something else, but just what she could say failed her. The quiet didn't feel forced or uncomfortable as it went on and on, however. It simply felt right.
Duelists didn't have to be enemies, on or off the dueling field. That was one of the first things that every person who wanted to pick up a card learned. Whether they chose to act on that knowledge or not was up to them, but it was something they knew. Asuka had grown up on stories of the great duelists who were also great friends or great rivals. Some of the whispered legends said that the friendship between Mutou Yuugi and Jounouchi Katsuya was even responsible for saving the world. She wasn't all that certain the legends were wrong, either. She'd seen stranger things in her life.
"Ryou," she said at last. She raised her head enough to look at him, and wasn't surprised to see him looking back at her. Good. She wanted to see his face for this. "We're going to duel tomorrow." He did her the honor of saying nothing when she made the obvious statement. "What's bothering us about it?"
There was a heartbeat's worth of a pause before he said anything in answer. "The fact that we have been growing closer for the last two days and are on what many people would call a first date at the moment." Ryou's statement was clear and calm and she nodded her agreement.
"If people can duel each other and stay friends, then I think they can duel each other and still keep on with whatever this is between us," she declared, waving a hand in an arc designed to encompass the two of them. Or possibly the whole world. She wasn't that particular right now. "Do you think I'm right?"
Again he paused, just long enough for whatever was going through his mind to do so. She could wait for the answer. She thought she knew what it was anyway. "Yes." The single word fell from his lips, and she fought back a smug smile. She had been right.
"So we're going to do our best against each other tomorrow, and whoever wins, it'll be because they deserved to, nothing more, nothing less. Just like any other duel." She dug her fork and knife into the steak before her determinedly. She had no intentions of surrendering the duel just because her opponent was someone she was seeing in something more of a friendship situation, or because he was Marufuji Ryou. If he won, she was going to make him work for it every step of the way.
The faintest tinges of an approving smile touched Ryou's lips. Asuka caught sight of it as she glanced up from her food and returned the smile, just as faintly, but still there. Other people might have had a hard time seeing it, but they were used to each other after all the years they'd been friends.
"You're right, of course." Ryou knew she was, and had known it all along. Somewhere in him he had felt the same words. She'd simply been the one who had voiced them. He was going to give her his ultimate best. If at all possible, he would even go beyond his best, just for her. She deserved nothing less.
He worked on his own steak, savoring the taste of it. It wasn't something he ate all that often, even though he could afford to do so whenever he chose. This restaurant's staff knew what they were doing. He was glad he'd picked this one to be where he and Asuka went for their dinner together. He shyed away almost instinctively from calling it a date. Just saying that someone else would call it that had been enough of a shiver down his spine.
Despite everything he'd seen and done over the years, the thought of actually dating someone still chilled Ryou to the bone. He'd seen how much of a pain the press and other duelists could be when they had just been making it up that he was dating someone. But if he and Asuka actually did begin to see each other regularly, what would they make of it?
There wasn't even a hint of being able to keep it from them. Reporters regularly went through anything and everything to find out the smallest secrets of duelists of all kinds. There were four or five dueling magazines alone that he knew of who fought for the right to paw through the trash of whatever hotel he stayed at. If it hadn't been for his implied threat of legal action, they probably would've tried to claim he was seeing Matsuo or Hidaka already, just because they had to stay together all the time. He fully expected to see something of that nature one of these days anyway. It all depended on when they would get that desperate for a story. He'd seen things with less backing being taken as truth, sadly enough.
He would have to talk to Asuka about it before they began anything that was remotely serious. Just the fact they would be together at the end of the tournament party would be enough to set some tongues wagging. Just the fact they were having this dinner was all some of them would need. The fact they were friends from childhood would either be ignored or blown out of proportion. There were the occasional days when he wondered if being in the Pro Leagues was worth the loss of what privacy he had.
Dinner itself was almost over with, and he didn't really want to just go back to the hotel and sit in his room until he was bored enough to go to sleep. Going over his deck was always an option, but he could virtually recite his card list from memory. He would look through it before his duels tomorrow, but tonight, he thought they could perhaps rest a little.
"What do you want to do after this?" Ryou decided to put the question to Asuka and see if there was anything that she'd been thinking about.
"It's not all that late," she replied after a couple of moments of thought and a quick look at her watch. "Why don't we go for a walk around town? I still need to see if I can find something for Fubuki."
He smiled just a touch, a little more than before. The thought of Fubuki could make anyone smile. Or go into a murderous rage, depending on what he'd been up to lately. "He would like anything you found, I know."
"That's the whole problem. I want him to love something I could find for him," Asuka replied. She finished off the last of her meal and sighed. "Just once, I'd like to find something that really made him happy. Not just because anything does, but because it's something that he wanted and couldn't get." She shook her head and sighed again. "I don't think I'm explaining it all that well."
"No, it's all right." One didn't get to spend part of one's life as the best friend of Tenjoin Fubuki and not understand things like what she was saying. Fukubi defined the majority of the good and bad points to be found in any human being. Ryou wondered on occasion why no one had strangled him yet. All he could think of was that he usually charmed anyone intent on doing so out of it.
He cleaned off his own plate and leaned back, pleasantly full. The idea of walking around doing a little window shopping if nothing else wasn't a bad one. It would work off the dinner and maybe he'd even be able to find something for Asuka that she'd like. In her own way she could be as hard to shop for as her brother was, but for different reasons. The trick now would be to buy it, if he should find it, without her noticing it. He thought he could manage that.
Maybe it would be worth it to have the tabloids and newspapers prodding around. There was only one way to find out.
Decorations of all kinds glowed from every conceivable corner, and some that weren't conceivable as well. Artifical snow had been piled in some display windows, along with images of the fanciful North Pole, Santa Claus, and his workshop. Wreaths and other well-known symbols of the season could be seen anywhere that someone looked.
"It really doesn't look all that different from home, does it?" Asuka wondered as they walked along. The decorations were much the same as she remembered, though she couldn't see any of the familiar origami swans. She had always enjoyed making those when she was younger.
"Not really. I don't suppose it really would." There were only so many different kinds of things any given culture could develop for a winter festival kind of thing, of course. He shifted a little nervously as they walked, thinking of other things that he'd seen around this time of year while growing up. Seeing all of the decorations and hearing about the various customs had stirred up memories.
It's this time of year that a lot of young couples spend time together. Is Asuka going to want to do that? Do I want to do that? Agreeing to go to the end of the tournament party together wasn't quite the same thing, but it could be a suitable substitute, given their particular interests. It was hard to determine what they were doing because they truly wanted to do and what might be happening because they were a little caught up in the festive season.
"It's just as well we're not there right now, though." Asuka's thoughts had kept on moving. "I'd imagine it would be the next thing to impossible to spend any time alone together." Her cheeks flushed a delicate shade of red at that, one he found quite pleasing.
"More than likely. I was thinking something similar, actually. When Shou and I were children, we had a neighbor who always made it quite plain when she had a date for Christmas Eve," he recalled. He had never liked her all that much. "She would always make certain to tell our mother that she had one of the best hotel rooms in the city reserved for her and her boyfriend." His lips twitched slightly. "I don't recall her having the same boyfriend two years in a row, however."
Asuka rolled her eyes at the thought. She had never wanted to bounce around from boy to boy like that. She fully intended to pick one person and stick with them, no matter what. That was why she hadn't bothered dating while she was in school. She wasn't going to make any commitments until she made the right one. Even if people started to whisper behind her back about how long she was taking to find the right one, it didn't matter to her. Besides, I think I might have anyway.
The temperature was going down a little more now that the sun had set, and Asuka shivered. She'd remembered to bring a jacket this time, but it was still a little chilly. "Let's check out that store up there." She motioned to what looked like a warm department store and the two of them headed towards it quickly. At least it wasn't going to be snowy tonight. It was a little hard to see them through the holiday lights, but the stars glittered above them, and a faint hint of white to the horizon hinted at the forthcoming presence of the moon. It would be a beautiful night.
Ryou didn't protest as they entered; perhaps he was feeling the cold just like she was. She wasn't certain if that were true, given how he was bundled up. He wore a slight thicker coat than she did, one she thought she remembered Shou having sent him for a gift at some point. It suited him perfectly, being a deep shade of green, with deep pockets on each side, and came down to his mid-thigh, just about to where his boots came up to. There was virtually nothing of him that would be left to the cold. She thought it was made of some of the new materials that were being developed, which were much more resistance to cold and rain than anything else. Anything made like that was expensive, but Shou was dueling well enough to be able to afford it.
Asuka was used to Christmas displays, especially with the holiday itself being as close as they were, but she wasn't used to ones like this. They probably existed; she'd just never bothered going out into them that much. Surely she'd find something for Fubuki here, and maybe even Ryou. It would be a pleasure if she did. She had more than enough American money to be able to buy almost anything she wanted. I hope they don't expect me to talk to them that much, though. That would be a horror all by itself.
Thankfully, browsing didn't require anything like language skills. Browsing with Ryou meant if she wanted to read a tag and her English wasn't up to it, he could handle it for her. There were advantages to having a guy around, she decided. At least this particular one.
When she saw it, it wasn't anything that someone might have considered as a gift for her brother. It was simple, elegant, and if she hadn't known better, might've thought that someone had made it with him in mind. But is he going to like it? She leaned over to look at it more intently, and decided he would. In fact, there were two of them, which made it all the better, especially as it seemed to be designed to be worn by two different people.
"How much is this?" Asuka asked the clerk, having strained to at least master that phrase. Hearing the price, she nodded briefly and looked over at Ryou. He was several feet away from her, looking at something else that she couldn't see from where he was. "I think I found something for Fubuki."
Ryou came over as she said that and glanced at what she was looking at. He nodded slightly. "I believe that would do it."
She quickly paid for and had wrapped up the matching pair of yin-yang necklaces. She would take it back with her when she went back to Japan and hand it over in person. The look on his face would be worth every other time she's gotten him something and he hadn't done anything more than thank her. She wanted him stunned. And if he wasn't, she'd make sure he was. There had to be a baseball bat or something around she could use.
There was still Ryou to find something for, though, and she couldn't think of a single thing that he might possibly want or need. There's got to be something. She racked her brain once they left that department and wandered on more. Clothes just didn't seem right. He had never been much for jewelry, even for a guy. He had all the cards he would ever need and then some. Maybe a book of some kind? Nothing at all seemed right.
She glanced to where he'd wandered ahead of her a little and thought harder. There had to be something. The trouble was, she had no idea if the something she wanted was here or somewhere else in the world. That was the problem with wanting to get something for the duelist who had everything.
Then she caught sight of something and her heart skipped a beat or two. That was it! That was perfect! Someone out there had to have made it just for him. She hurried over, taking a quick look back to be certain he didn't see her, and managed to get it paid for as quickly as possible. She'd heard the Christmas crowds could be killer, but for the moment, they appeared to have taken a break. She wasn't even going to think about complaining. Not when it meant she could have this without putting up a fight for it.
With her purchases safely tucked away out of sight, she went on to catch up with him. That was much easier to think than do, as it took her a few extra moments to even find him. I know he was going this way. Did he figure out I was gone and start trying to look for me? That would be a comedy of errors, the two of them trying to find each other and yet not succeeding, missing by an aisle or two.
"There you are." Ryou fell into step beside her as if she hadn't been gone for so much as a heartbeat. "Are you almost ready to go?"
"I think so. It's starting to get late, I think," she smiled up at him, not letting him know that she'd found anything. What had he been doing? She decided questioning him wouldn't be the thing to do. It was the season of giving, and the least she could do was give him his privacy.
The trip back to the hotel was more or less a quiet one. Asuka kept her hands in her coat pockets, her fingers caressing first one of the hidden gifts, then the other. She could hardly believe she'd been lucky enough to find the perfect presents, so close to each other, and on the same trip. But there they were. She decided to give Ryou's to him during the celebration party. That would fit best, she thought.
"Well, here we are," she said as they stopped outside of her hotel room door. It wasn't very late, but she was thinking about going to bed anyway, or at least dozing for a while. The thought of dueling him tomorrow had her keyed up, and she wanted to relax before something snapped: like her nerve.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Ryou said. He inclined his head a little towards her, and she returned it. Neither of them made a move, though. They simply stood there looking at one another. Asuka couldn't quite bring herself to turn the doorknob. She couldn't take her eyes off of his. He started to lean a little towards her, and something inside of her did snap. She quickly turned the knob and opened the door, trembling from head to foot and not certain exactly of why.
"Right. Tomorrow." She offered an awkward smile as an apology, then darted into her room and closed the door behind herself. Idiot. Why didn't you kiss him? He wanted to. You wanted to. She didn't have an answer beyond the fact it just hadn't felt right at the time. It wasn't the best answer, but it was what she knew at the moment.
She knew he'd left after she'd closed the door. He wouldn't just stand there and wait for her to come out again, especially since she wouldn't. She'd try to explain things tomorrow, if she could. If there was time after their duel.
Ryou shuffled his deck easily, the cards sliding through his hands with the ease of long practice. He had done this hundreds of times, if not thousands. Very few of those times had he been even remotely nervous. He had no idea if he was now or not. But he did wish, just in the deepest reaches of his awareness, that he was dueling almost anyone but Asuka today. He knew that they would still be friends afterwards. There was no way that could change. But still...he would have preferred anyone else. To defeat her in public, or to lose to her, would be different than if they were dueling for amusement somewhere private.
He would manage, though. Whatever else happened, he knew he could manage. So would she.
He drew his first set of cards and examined them. It wasn't the best hand he could've had, but it had what he needed, a low level card that he could play on his turn. Cyber Phoenix was one of his favorites. It wasn't as wonderful as one of his Cyber Dragons, but it was good enough. There were some spell cards he could use for support in his hand as well. He suspected he would be seeing his Cyber Dragons before the duel was over, though.
Asuka stood on her side of the field, her own first hand held firmly, that fire he'd always admired glowing out of her eyes. Yes, he would fight for his victory, and she would likely enough make him sweat every step of the way. He didn't think she'd ever been more beautiful in that moment. She is, isn't she? He allowed a small mental smile at the thought. Asuka was better than beautiful. She had the most character, the most strength, the most depth that he had seen in anyone for a long, long time. There weren't words for it, so he didn't waste his time trying to find them. She was Asuka. That was all she needed to be, and he was content with her being that.
"I play Cyber Phoenix," he said, his turn being the first. The metallic bird shimmered into existence between them, strong and beautiful. He couldn't attack on his turn, of course, but he wasn't quite done yet. "I lay one card face down, and end my turn." He placed the card in his spell and trap zone, confidence strong in every move.
Asuka nodded as she looked through her cards quickly, then drew her card for the turn and examined it. Whatever thoughts might have been going through her mind, she didn't reflect them in her eyes or expression. She was too experienced of a duelist to let that happen. The slightest hint of a good or bad draw could lead to success or failure.
"I play Cyber Tu Tu, in attack mode!" She flashed a grin at him. "And I know you know it's special effect, Ryou."
He smiled briefly. She had been lucky to draw that card when she had. But early duel luck didn't always last. "Indeed I do. Because Cyber Phoenix has an attack strength higher than Cyber Tu Tu, your monster can attack me directly." He didn't flinch as the monster leaped over towards his side of the field, completely avoiding Cyber Phoenix, and kicked him. The electronics and feedback on a Duel Disk were incredible; he felt as if he really had been kicked. It wasn't as hard as it could have been, but his life counter went down by a thousand. He was going to have to do something about that monster. It could be annoying if that went on for too long.
Luckily, he could do something about it. As she ended her turn, after placing something he suspected was a trap card face down, he drew a card and smiled quietly. It wasn't quite his Cyber Dragon, but Proto Cyber Dragon could be useful as well. If nothing else, it would make it possible for him to summon a real Cyber Dragon once he had one in his hand. Not to mention, for all intents and purposes it was considered to be one while it was on the field. That could come in handy for several things.
But at the moment, what he wanted to do was to make this duel last, to have them both give their best. It would be better if he held back until he had a few more cards that could be of greater use to him. He knew just the one that could be useful, but he couldn't count on it, and he wasn't. There were other plans waiting in the wings of his mind, of course. That would just be the one he liked the best, for now. There would be a way to win. He trusted his deck to see to it. After all, they'd worked together for a long time, he and this deck.
For now, however, he had Cyber Phoenix attack her Cyber Tu Tu, wiping it off the field. He could see her fingers tightening on the cards a little; whatever card she'd laid down hadn't been of any use in this situation. She had to have planned for that, though. He would have.
The duel kept on going, each of them drawing and using some of their better monsters. Not quite their best, though; each of them could feel that the other was waiting for just the right dramatic moment to pull out their best creatures. Before more than five turns had passed, Ryou was more than ready to bring things to an end. He had made plans for the ending of this two turns previously, after she'd brought out her current monster, and now it was time. Asuka had one of her greatest cards on the field, ready to attack him. He didn't have any monsters at all, and he wondered if she suspected what was in his mind. He would have to bring it to a close, or she'd finish him on her next turn. By now, he had only a thousand life points left, and she had five hundred. Cyber Prima looked more than ready to wipe him out. He wasn't really in the mood for that, however. There were other things he felt like doing besides lose a duel today.
"An excellent duel, Asuka," he told her. "I've enjoyed myself more than I have with any other duelist in this entire tournament."
"You haven't been so bad either," she replied, grinning. She knew, she had to know, what he was doing. There wasn't a hint of anger in her eyes, though. She'd kept her word: no matter what, they would still be friends, with the chance of more, when this was done.
He nodded a little, then began. "I activate the effect of Future Fusion!" He was glad he hadn't played that until after Cyber Prima had taken the field, since Cyber Prima's special effect upon being summoned destroyed all face-up spell cards. That could've been annoying. His instincts had served him well again. "And the monster I choose is the Cyber End Dragon!"
In all of it's glittering metallic glory, his beautiful creature rose before him, three heads hissing and flaring with power, ready to finish this duel. Ryou felt his own soul responding; if any creature could be said to match him, it was this one, he knew. There was nothing else that could be done. Asuka didn't have anything else on the field, and after her previous turn, she hadn't been able to change Cyber Prima to defense mode. Not that it would matter much if she had, with Cyber End Dragon's special effect. "Attack Cyber Prima!"
The blast was impressive, even for holographs. He'd seen it so many other times, but he never grew weary of it. As the dust cleared and Asuka's life point counter was shown cycling down to zero, he smiled. It wasn't a cruel smile of triumph, as it might have been some years ago, but a simple smile of pleasure at a well played duel.
"Congratulations." Asuka smiled as she gathered up her cards. "I was hoping I could pull something to get rid of Future Fusion, but the cards just didn't co operate this time."
"Maybe they will next time," he suggested as they started away from the dueling arena.
"We'll see. So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" Spending it together came to mind for him as soon as she asked the question. The next day would be the last of the tournament, Christmas Eve itself, and after that, it would be time for her to leave. He wished he could; but there were other things his manager had already had planned for him and his two protégées. He couldn't really look forward to any of it, either. Not as much as he did to every moment he'd been spending with Asuka lately.
"I hadn't made that many plans. Matsuo and Hidaka are already out of the tournament so I don't have to watch their duels, and I've already given them my critiques on how they did." That, thankfully, had not taken very long. They hadn't made as many mistakes as they once had, and for the most part their losses had been simply because of the bad luck of the draw. That was something any duelist had to learn to deal with.
Asuka nodded. "I've got to be ready to go soon." She didn't sound very happy about it. He knew that her family was probably already working on getting the New Year's decorations up, or would be once she was ready to go, due to the time difference. "I suppose I should get ready for that." She was even less enthused about that.
"We could go for a walk," he suggested. Going out to eat didn't quite appeal to him at the moment. He wanted to rest, to wind down from the excitement of the duel. Going to the ocean would help with that.
With just enough of a break so they could go to their respective rooms and get their coats, the two of them were shortly walking down by the ocean yet again. Hidaka and Matsuo had been given strict orders not to interrupt him under any circumstances. He would find out who he was to duel later without their help, and he wasn't interested enough right now to look.
He breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of the ocean, letting the breeze run nonexistent fingers through his hair. He would have a devil of a time trying to get all the knots out after this. He didn't care. He liked how it felt at the moment.
"So, we're going to be going to the party together tomorrow night," Asuka said quietly, glancing up at him briefly. He nodded, noticing the wind playing with her hair as well. He wondered for a moment what it would be like to brush his own fingers through it. It wasn't a thought he'd had before, and he examined it curiously before letting it slip away. He had a feeling it would come back some other time, though. It was the kind of thought that wanted to stick around and grow a little. He very much believed he was going to like that. He liked quite a few things about Asuka, he was coming to find.
"I hope I'll be able to make it back to Japan in time to spend a little more time with you before the next round of Pro League duel gets started," he said. "And I'd like to see what happens when you give Fubuki his gift." He fingered a little something in his pocket. There was something else he'd like to see, but that would have to wait a little while. Just until the next night.
She laughed a little. "I can't wait to see the look on his face for it myself. It's going to be great."
Talking and laughing, taking all the time they could to be with one another while they could be, they kept on walking, letting the wind and water wipe away all the exhaustion, leaving only friendship and the slow growth of everything else between them in it's wake.
Asuka ran a brush through her hair a few times, getting rid of the last tangles. She was almost ready to go down for the combination end of tournament and Christmas Eve dance. All of her clothes, except for what she had on, her traveling outfit, and her sleepwear, had been packed up already, as had everything else. She would be leaving in the morning to head back home.
I hope Ryou really can make it there before the end of the year. Letting her family know she was sort of seeing someone was going to be interesting. Fubuki would probably be torn between being disappointed and being glad. He'd been after her to start dating ever since they were in school, after all. This meant he wouldn't be able to nag her anymore. It was worth it for that, in and of itself. She would've done it even he had kept on after her, though.
A polite knock came to her door and she went over to answer it. As she'd suspected, Ryou stood out there, dressed in his own finest outfit. He looked fantastic, better than she could have ever imagined him to be.
"Are you ready?" he asked and she nodded, taking a moment to tuck the brush into her luggage quickly. "You look wonderful."
"I was just thinking the same thing about you," she smiled and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. "Congratulations, by the way."
Ryou smiled and nodded slightly. "Did you tell Juudai the same thing?"
"Of course," she said. Why wouldn't she have? It wasn't often that there was a tie when it came to a Duel Monsters tournament. But once again, it seemed that Juudai and Ryou were absolute equals when it came to skill. That duel was probably going to be held up to future generations as the epitome of what dueling could be like
Together the two of them went down to where the party was being held. There was already a crowd there, just as thick as for most of the duels had been just a day or two earlier. Asuka could see a few people she knew there, and waved a little at Hayato as he went by. She caught sight of Misawa and Juudai sitting at a table off to the side together, talking animatedly. In fact, they were so animated about whatever it was they were discussing that people were giving them a three foot berth, just to avoid being hit by their flailing arms.
Decorations glowed from everywhere, just as they did out in the city. She saw holly, ivy, mistletoe, and so much more there. I'll never forgive Fubuki for following me around with that mistletoe last year, either. He'd done his best to get her caught under it with four different guys. She hadn't been interested in any of them, and perhaps this year, she'd finally be able to convince him of that. She wasn't certain if she would, but she would try, at least.
Reporters were what caught hold of Ryou's attention. There were several that had been invited to cover not just the tournament but this party as well. It was almost impossible to know when one was going to be photographed by them, with all the lights flickering all over the place. The flash of a camera blended in nearly perfectly with everything else.
Situations like this had never been ones that he excelled at, at least not by choice. He had to deal with them, whether he wanted to or not, however. At least tonight he was here with someone of his choice, not someone his manager had tried, with varying degrees of success, to foist off on him. Most of those had ended badly, at least by the point of view of the unlucky girl. He had generally been glad to scrape her off.
"So, think we should dance a little?" Asuka suggested, motioning to where so many others were already turning and twirling in the latest dance craze. Ryou's expression must have betrayed his inner thoughts for once, since she laughed and shook her head. "I didn't really want to either. Come on, let's just mingle a little."
That was marginally more interesting. They stopped long enough by the refreshment table to pick up a cup of punch and a tray of small eatables each, then headed over to where Juudai and Misawa were sitting.
"Hey, guys!" Juudai waved cheerfully as they came up. "That was a cool duel, Ryou, we're going to have to do it again sometimes."
"Isn't twice enough for you?" Misawa asked with a warm smile. He had improved so much from what Asuka remembered in their school days. Everything that had happened to him had been very, very good for him.
Ryou smiled briefly. "Whenever you'd care for another match, I'd be glad to oblige."
"I wish I'd seen the one between you two." Juudai leaned forward, eyes bright and eager. "I heard that was awesome!"
Asuka smiled; Juudai really wasn't ever going to change. Dueling would always be where his heart lay the most. She knew how he felt, for the most part. She glanced for a moment at Ryou, almost wishing that they had danced just a little. If there hadn't been so many people, maybe they both would've felt a little more like it.
She nibbled a little on the sandwiches she'd picked up, finding them quite tasty. Pegasus had obviously hired some very skilled caterers. She glanced around curiously to see if their host was visible, and caught sight of him near one of the doors heading out. With him was someone with long pink hair, dressed very fashionably. She thought for a moment it was a woman, then did a double-take as the person turned slightly and she got a better look at their face. Well. Who would have guessed. Given that it was really none of her business, she turned her attention back to the rest of her friends.
"You know, I don't usually listen to rumors, but the gossip has been running quite strong about the two of you in the last day or so," Misawa said, looking at both Ryou and Asuka. "Is there any truth to it?"
From anyone else, that question might have been considered intensely rude by either of the two duelists. But they both knew Misawa more than well enough not to take it personally. His intense drive for knowledge was what was behind it, like it behind everything else he did.
"It depends on what the rumors are saying," Asuka told him. She glanced at Ryou for a moment, then back to Misawa.
"They're saying that you two are dating." Misawa spoke the words calmly. Juudai didn't even seem to be interested, at least not in them. The shrimp on his plate were the focus of his attention right now.
Ryou shrugged briefly. "At least they're getting something right, for a change. In a way, we are."
"It isn't anything completely serious, at the moment," Asuka added. She had to be honest, though. "But it's not something that isn't serious either."
Misawa said nothing for a few moments, then nodded slightly. "Whatever happens, I wish you both the best of luck."
"Yeah, same here," Juudai added, showing he hadn't been quite as fascinated by the food as he had seemed to be as he looked up with that familiar smile of his. Asuka returned the expression, then looked at Ryou.
"Want to step outside for a quick breath of fresh air?" she asked. They hadn't been here all that long, but the press of people, the music, and the scents of food, perfume, and who knew what else were getting to her just a little. She had no idea of how some people could stand it.
Ryou's answer was to get up and escort her over to the door. Asuka relaxed a little as they got outside, breathing in the cooler night air. She liked the holiday season, but it almost seemed to choke her at some points. Being alone like this, or mostly alone, was much more preferable. There was nothing here that anyone wanted from her except her company, and she would offer that to Ryou at any time.
She closed her eyes for a moment and tilted her head back, then opened her eyes, taking in the vast view of the stars above. "Aren't they beautiful?" she murmured. It had been so long since she'd been in a position to look at them. The hotel was situated just far enough from the main part of the city so the lights, at least from this vantage point, didn't wash them out. She shivered a little, and wished that this time she'd thought to bring a jacket. She hadn't considered the possibility she might go outside this evening.
"Yes," Ryou replied. She felt the warmth of his arms around her, an unusual gesture from him, and leaned a little closer. Maybe having forgotten the jacket wasn't that bad after all. This had to be one of the more perfect moments of her life to date.
His gift. She had almost forgotten it, and she'd put it in her pocket, just to be certain she didn't. "Oh. I have something for you." She pulled it out carefully, making sure not to disturb the wrapping. "I got it when we were out the other day."
He took it from her hand and then reached into his own pocket. "I found something for you then too." He handed a small package over. Asuka hoped she wasn't blushing yet again. She had never expected that he would find her something, much less get it for her. That just wasn't what he did.
She carefully unwrapped the box, and caught her breath at the sight of the framed print of a storm-tossed ocean. "It's beautiful." It reminded her so much of him and herself and the ocean that bound them together.
"So is this." Ryou looked down into the gift she'd given. There was a crystal statue of a Cyber Dragon, one of several Duel Monster carvings she'd seen at the department store. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." She could see the joy shining in his eyes at the gift. It was perfect for him, just the way she'd thought it would be. For a moment, she glanced up over her head. She'd seen something up there when she'd looked at the stars, and wanted to be sure it was what she thought it was. Mistletoe. Fubuki had been conducting a one-man campaign to get more people around home to start kissing under it. She glanced back at Ryou. "You know, it's the custom here to kiss if you're under the mistletoe."
He looked up over their heads, then back to her, and leaned in more closely. She inched closer to him, and their lips brushed just for a moment, then closer together. Asuka wrapped her arms around him, feeling his tighten around her, and kissed again. There wasn't any need to say anything. What needed to be said, after all?
Neither of them moved very far from the other, even once they were no longer kissing. They would have to separate soon enough. There was no need to rush it. But they would be together again, and that was all that mattered: the embrace of the moment, and the promise of the future.
The End