LONG TIME NO READ PEOPLE
A shout for LovelySinner7 :) *hugs*
Since I took a lot of time to update, no long AU's...
I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or any of its characters
Proudly saying! I'm a Yu-Gi-Oh! R/GX/5D'S fan for life and eternity!
Chapter 4 – Hindrance
It's probably a bad idea for his heart. He insisted himself that he needs to be a very mature guy and be there for Johan. After all, he was his best friend before all this and he is glad he still is. He just hopes he will not break down and cry and plead on his knees to Johan. That would be shameless and embarrassing, not to mention downright immature.
He took a cab and went to the hospital. There's no need to ask any nurses, he knows where Johan is. You might not even tell him the room number and he will still know where Johan is. Judai laughed at himself. It will be really sweet if he can tell Johan that. He probably still can. Best friends tell each other that they think of one another. It's not like he is forbidden to be sweet at Johan. There are boundaries there though. And how Judai despise those boundaries, if they are still a couple and Judai would tell him that. Johan will giggle, blush, hug him and kiss him. He would probably punch Judai playfully on his arm. That will be so cute! And Judai will kiss him sweetly on the cheek.
Now he misses Johan's lips on his. This doesn't help at all. Not at all.
Now he feels exasperate.
His way to Johan's room was torture, torture in a sense that he has to force himself to smile at everyone walking past him. A tip from a mature guy. Be polite. Always.
And another tip: Always knock. Even if you are going downright worried and anxious in seeing someone you really, really love who, by the way, is just from being run down to the hospital. So Judai knocked four times on the door, besides, Johan's feeling well now, but after witnessing his impulsiveness in the rain Judai will not take any chances.
The door opened along with a voice Judai knew so well. "You know, when you are in a hospital, people usually enters without permission."
He smiles. "People do, if they are visiting a bed-ridden or they are either a nurse or a doctor."
"Or you are an important visitor," Johan gestures curtly. "Come in, to my suite."
Judai laughs lightly, "Important visitors need permissions too." He went inside the room and step beside the wall as he watches Johan walk to his bed.
"But they do not have to knock." Judai let the comment slide and stood there with content in seeing Johan far away from his appearance the other night. "You are early."
"Shouldn't I be?"Judai eyebrows furrows. "Should I be late?"
"No, we didn't talk about time anyway."
"I figured." Judai watched Johan get his bag from the bed and sling it on his shoulders. "Well, I guess I'm right. I should have been early." Johan nods, the small sigh that had escaped from his lips didn't go unnoticed by Judai. It made him worried. He probably isn't feeling that well.
"Let's go." His smile faltered when he saw Judai's scrutinizing gaze. "What's up?"
"I'm not sure you're feeling well." Judai said.
Johan smiles at him, it looks strained. "I am sure. I was…" He bit his lip to consider what he wants to say. "I was expecting…" He frowns for a moment and hint of a strong emotion flashed in his eyes. "Never mind" And he smiles, a cover so thin Judai has no doubt it is a lie.
"Whatever it is, it's making you sad." Judai tried to shut down his brain when he heard Johan's forced laugh. It didn't cooperate.
"You are worrying too much."
"If I was, you would not be in this hospital." His stomach lurched when he saw Johan frowned.
"Judai, stop blaming yourself, it isn't your fault. Worrying wasn't going to help anyway." Johan shrugs and walks to the door, wanting to let the conversation diminish, but Judai won't let it just end.
"Well, if I did an action faster…"
"It's alright Judai," Johan stands in front of the door, doorknob in hand. Judai absent-mindedly bit his lip in worry. He has this nagging feeling that Johan's tired of him, tired of being his friend and that's something Judai doesn't want to lose. That's something his hope relies on. "I'm fine."
Judai nods to himself. "Yeah, well…" He's to accept that Johan's health is alright, all he wants to see is his smile. There is it on his face, even though it's not really real. "What's making you sad?"
"I miss dueling." A very easy lie. Judai let it slide.
"Not surprised." His heart breaks when he has to use the smile he practiced for so long to Johan. He believes that every mature people have smiles reserved for just about every occasion—feelings not important. Smiling politely is important.
"Come on then, let's leave my suite."
They didn't even talk while walking out of the hospital. It seems like there's nothing to talk about when they should be talking. Judai is afraid he's loosing his thin grip to Johan. He needs to think of something. He needs to think of something great to say. Mature adults talks, they talk about important things. "The weather is good."
Johan laughs loudly. "That is something out-of-the-blue."
"Yeah, the sky is blue today." Judai feels his face heating up. "Have you watched the news?"
Johan stares at Judai incredulously. "Since when did you watched the news?"
"Everyday!" Somehow Judai feels that a very mature decision of talking about the news is not working, if you don't watch the weather news.
"Okay…" Johan said amusement evident in his voice. "So what did the weather forecaster said?"
"Weather forecaster who?"
"The guy who—" Johan's phone rings. He flipped it open to see the caller I.D. "Have to take this call." Judai nods. "Hello… no… Well, that's bad… Can I send it through e-mail? I need to… Hmm, fine… thank you. Good bye." Johan sighs.
"Is there something wrong?" Judai is feeling dreadful, something is not right and surely, something is not with his side.
"Looks like my stay will not be that long." Oh, yes, something is cut short.
"Why? Who called?" He stepped closer to Johan. He has the urge to take his phone and call whoever it was and tell him or her to take back what they said.
"A classmate said that professor gave us extra work for our break. I have to go back earlier than planned."
Judai stares at Johan's phone still on his hand. "Can you just do that here?"
"The information can only be gotten from our school, it's mostly about our school, so that make sense." Johan smiles at Judai's intense glare at his phone. He's probably contemplating on how to make me stay. Johan thought. Impossible, he is not the Judai I knew.
Judai looks up to Johan, trying to hide the disappointment on his face. He's going to make Johan stay, but of course, he will not whim or cry or be adorable, that's what kids do. He will give Johan rational excuses so he will stay. He'll play it smoothly. "So when are you going back to Europe?"
Johan appears to be thinking. "This week?" Judai's felt his blood drain. "Either Friday or Saturday. The paper is due on Tuesday."
He needs to put a plan into action. "Don't you think it's a little unfair of your professor?" He caught Johan's attention. "Wasn't he thinking that he might have students who had vacation outside Europe?"
Johan inhales deeply. "Well, think of my professor as a boss and I'm his employee. I have to follow him to keep my job." Two can play this game of being mature. Johan thought.
"He is being inconsiderate. He gave you an assignment about your own school. How are you supposed to learn on that assignment?"
Johan turns to face Judai completely. He sees a glint of desperation in Judai's eyes. But he wasn't showing it, it doesn't count. "I'm a history major Judai. Every little detail is important to complete a particular timeline."
"Can you just ask a classmate to send you those informations?" Judai didn't notice how small his voice became. At least it did until he noticed something. "What kind of classmate will call you across the continent for that?" Judai feels his body heating, a liter of bile dancing in his stomach. He's nervous. He knows it. There are more possibilities than Johan leaving earlier and a less chance of fixing things with him before he goes. There is that nagging thought, of Johan being available to other onlookers. Like that classmate on the phone.
"A concerned classmate Judai, that's all." Judai want to tell him that classmate is probably planning to court Johan anytime soon. Someone help that guy if he will do as much as make a move on Johan. He will see himself face with black—totally black. "It's a girl, if you are wondering."
Judai crossed his arms, fighting off the blush of the embarrassed on his face. "Much less so, you fall in love to a person not a gender." He felt silly for thinking it was a guy. He knows he doesn't have the right to not let Johan date people, but he still have the right to fight for him though.
Judai is looking away when a genuine smile appear in Johan's face. "I'm college student though, and college is training to the real world, so I have to go back there."
"I had the real world in my shoulders before; even now I still feel the weight." He turns to look at Johan. He throws his hands in the air. "Look at what I'm doing. I'm like the world's guardian." By now, Judai is pulling the strings he can manage.
"Maybe… so you can put it like this."
Judai straighten his poise to listen carefully. He is preparing himself to Johan's inevitable speech that will make him agree to him. But he will stand on his ground, a mature man has one word—the professor is inconsiderate.
"Hypothetically speaking, I am you. My professor is in Europe being galloped by dark forces because he is so inconsiderate. So as the world's super hero I will fly to Europe and save him." Johan finished with a big grin on his face.
"I'll forget being the world's super hero and let the dark forces take him." Judai said with an amused smile on his face, but he is serious on what he said though.
"Aren't you going to be nice and save him? You can stop the dark forces from hurting other people."
That's true. And as a mature adult, he will save that guy by stopping the dark forces. And by doing so, he will be able to prevent more damage and learn who is starting the attacks. "True. But the darkness might just be giving your professor his sentence. So I will go there and find out. It might be the light trying to blind him and be inconsiderate."
"Very well then."
"Well, you are going." He fakes a smile. "You are growing up. A mature decision, that's a… way to success."
Johan frowns. "I… I have a feeling you've been using that word a lot."
"What word?"
"The word… mature?"
Judai nods his head, secretly happy that Johan notice his maturity. "It's a practice. I need to put it in my head so I'll act on it more."
Johan doesn't look impressed and that made Judai wonder and anxious. He knows Johan wants a mature guy and that only drives him up to do so. "Don't force yourself, maybe? It's something to learn."
"Johan, I don't have time to learn. Little sparks of the dark and light are scattered everywhere. There are decisions to be made." Judai's voice is rising. "I don't have time to wait, it might be too late. You never know what's around you. I have to be serious every step. I will not be impulsive and childish because this is a serious matter." He finished, heavily panting.
Johan stares at Judai for a whole minute; every second stickling on Judai's skin, every second calms him. This is better than being judged. Because he is sure as ever not forcing himself, he's just maturing fast. That's two different matters. "Just… don't push yourself too much Judai, alright?"
"Yeah…" Judai nodded and looked down. "I'm improving myself for the good."
"I care about you Judai. Let's eat? I'm hungry." Johan smiles and it made Judai's world a little bit brighter.
"Yeah, me too."
"Alright, let's go?" Johan started walking through the way where he knows a cafeteria is located.
Judai caught Johan's hand, stopping him on his tracks. "No, Johan," He turn around with a smile. "I mean… I care about you too. A lot."
Johan nods, a glint of happiness appearing in his eyes. "Fried shrimp?"
Judai nods and happily letting Johan tighten his grip on his hand as they made their way to the nearest cafeteria they know that sell fried shrimps. It will be a lot of eating, as Judai will chew while thinking of ways to prove to Johan that he is the mature guy he wants to be with. He knows he will think of a great way. He and Johan will be together again, if their holding hands are any indication, they are really will.