JC: I've received pretty good reviews, which got me fired up for chapter two. I kinda finished this at 1 AM in the morning. I was totally in the zone. Oh, great news! The birthday girl had read the first chapter already and she liked it! I'm so glad since this is dedicated to her. This is my first time doing a JadenxAlexis fic and I'm psyched that I'm doing rather well. Rain was a bummer yesterday. But a little rain is enough to make my internet connection go meh and I was supposed to update this yesterday. Oh, well…On to chapter two now!

Note: There's a little scene here that actually happened in real life, to my classmate to be exact, and I was a witness. And I thought it only happens in the movies.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, people, or its characters, but the plot is mine. All rights belong to Kazuki Takahashi.

White Vow

Turn 02: Dinner, a Dance, and a Kiss?

Jaden was already sitting on a bench when Alexis arrived at the park late the next afternoon. He watched her walk toward him, his brown eyes lingering on her bright face, then lowering to her figure. She was wearing an off-shoulder blue top underneath a sleeveless white dress-skirt with a deep v-neckline, and a pair of cream-colored ankle boots. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail with tresses framing her face.

Much to his dismay, he wasn't the only one checking her out. Guys that passed her way couldn't help but look at her, even those with girlfriends. Talk about being unfaithful. Seriously, they needed to peel those eyes off Alexis.

"Did you wait long?" She was breathless when she reached him—because she'd rushed from the bus through the streets, and into the park. In addition to that, her heartbeat double-timed when she saw Jaden. He was wearing faded-blue jeans and a black shirt with red tribal prints.

Jaden looked up at her, smiling. "Nope!" he happily said. He almost frowned when a guy in roller blades passed by to whistle at Alexis. "Looks like someone is desperate for attention."

"I usually ignore them," she said with a sigh.

"So, where you want to go today?"

"I was hoping we could visit the museum again. There was an exhibit we missed since it was closed yesterday."

He rose from the bench and stretched out his arms. "The museum it is!" Just then, he saw a young teen on a bicycle heading straight for her. The kid seemed to have lost control of the brakes. "Alexis, watch out!" he yelled out, grabbing Alexis' arm and hauling her out of the way in time before the bike could hit her.

The front wheel of the bike hit the bench, and the kid was sent flying towards the bushes. Well, at least he had a soft landing. He was going to be fine, Jaden thought.

"Um…Jaden…" Her voice was a bit strained. "You can let go of me now."

Jaden saw that he was holding Alexis very comfortably in his arms. His cheeks pinked slightly. "Woah! Sorry about that, Lex!" he said nervously, flailing his arms around randomly.

Alexis stood, silent and motionless, unsure of how to react or what to say. Her pulse had been racing wildly. She was aware that Jaden only did that to save her from getting hurt, yet it felt so good to be in his arms.

Worried, he leaned closer. A faint hint of her delicious scent flowed into his nostrils. She smelled like flowers, only better and more tempting. And she looked so cute when she avoided his eyes. For one brief moment, fighting the urge to touch her smooth cheek, his mind went blank.

Alexis felt a surge of color sweep across her cheeks. He was too close for comfort. Her heart was pounding that it was almost unbearable. "I-Is there something on my face?" she finally spoke.

"Ah, no… Just wondering if you're okay," he said.

"I'm fine. You should be more concerned about that boy,"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot!" Jaden chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Be right—"

The boy suddenly emerged from the bushes, yelling "I'M ALIVE!" with fists high above his head. He stepped out of the bushes and bowed his head at Alexis. "Sorry about that! I'll be more careful next time." He straightened up, grabbed his bike, and walked away.

"I guess I owe you one, Jaden," she said, forcing her heartbeat to slow down, as she worked a smile on her face. "How about if I treat you—"

"It should be the guys who should treat the girls to dinner, you know," he said, scratching the tip of his nose. "Besides, I was gonna ask you to dinner tomorrow night."

Her heart skipped a beat. Was Jaden asking her out? No, that can't be. This was Jaden Yuki. Romance was not part of his vocabulary. This was probably just dinner as friends and nothing more, though the idea of having dinner with him was enlightening. It was a shame really, because she just realized how much she wanted to go out with him. "Sure, I'd love to. I don't have anything to do tomorrow night anyway."

"Sweet! I know this great place and I'm sure you'll love the food there, Alexis," he said enthusiastically. "But I think I have to enroll in an etiquette class first."

A phone call kicked him out of his dream world that early morning. Groaning, he reached for his cell phone on the bedside table and answered the call.

"You will take her to dinner tomorrow night at 7. I already made the reservations. You can order whatever you like. Sky's the limit. But make sure she's going to have a good time."

And with that, the call ended. Jaden didn't even have time to retort or complain. "Oh, man…" He gripped his phone and buried his face into the pillow. "He's so unreasonable…" he grumbled.

"It's a fancy restaurant, so I should be on my best behavior."

Alexis raised a brow. "Huh? Wait, are you sure about this? Treating me to an expensive restaurant."

"I still owe you for helping me rediscover my passion for dueling. I was being a total jerk, but you helped me open my eyes." He winked an eye. "Just say yes, Alexis. If you're worried about the money, no sweat! I have loads. My parents gave me a big bonus." He hated lying, but this was necessary. He could never tell her about the bet.

"All right, since you insisted." She was still a little reluctant about this. It seemed kind of suspicious.

"Awesome! I'll be looking forward to this," he said, taking her hand into his. "Now let's go to the museum." The whole dinner thing was all HIS idea. However, he never expected that he'd get so excited to have dinner with her. Plus, he will get to eat high-class food! Yum!

Alexis stared at their linked hands, nervously at first, then with loving warmth and gentleness. She was starting to reconsider confessing to him. But she was afraid of the consequences.

"I'm supposed to meet him at Chez Etoile Restaurant. Talk about high class. This is the best restaurant in the city. I still can't believe Jaden could afford the food there," Alexis said into her cell phone. Atticus was on the other line. "Think it's okay?"

"I smell romance in the air. This is definitely a date, Lexy," Atticus teased.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "This is Jaden we're talking about. Romance and Jaden Yuki do not belong in the same sentence," she stated sadly.

Atticus laughed. "Lexy, dinner at an expensive restaurant? Him inviting only you… This counts as a date and I think he definitely has a thing for you."

"I doubt that," Alexis shrugged.

"He's already your fiancé. All he needs to do is to propose to you properly."

"He's not my fiancé. Atticus, he doesn't even know the meaning of that word," Alexis retorted coolly. "We're just friends."

"That guy is like a few months away till he's legal and you think he still doesn't know what fiancé means? Give the guy some credit, Lexy."

Alexis sighed. "Whatever. Look, I have to hang up now. I've got to get ready for our dinner."

"You mean dinner date," Atticus teased.

"Goodbye," she replied before ending the call. The fiancé title was just a onetime experience. Jaden just happened to win the duel where her hand in marriage was the prize. But she and Jaden never got into a loving relationship. Being his fiancée meant nothing to Jaden.

Jaden's eyes flicked over her the moment she stepped into the restaurant. She was dressed in a baby-blue strapless dress that had a corsage pinned on the left breast area and a short, flowing skirt, along with a pair of light blue high-heeled couldn't tear his eyes away from her. The dress complimented her curves and the shapeliness of her legs. He felt himself begin to grow warm. He tugged nervously at the collar of his white shirt, then loosened his striped gray and blue necktie.

Is it getting hot in here or is it just me? Man, Alexis sure looks awesome.

He gave his shoulders a shrug as he rose from the chair to meet her, forcing his heart to calm down and his mind to focus. He cannot afford to mess up the dinner date that MAN setup, he reminded himself. He would get through this evening without trouble. He would show her a good time. And he would never ever do anything to embarrass her or to make her cry.

"I think this is the first time I've seen you wear something formal," she said, smiling at him. And the clothes looked great on him. Dressed in a suit and a tie, there was not a thing boyish or rugged about him, she thought, her pulse racing. He was oozing with powerful appeal that gave her a rush of excitement through her body.

"Do I look okay?" he asked, adjusting his tie.

"More than okay. You look—what's the word—nice…" she said.

"Thanks, but not as nice as you, Alexis. I mean, just look at you. You look beautiful." Those words came out before he realized what he just told her. He could feel the heat coating his entire face. "Um…erm…Let's take our seats. I'm starving." He laughed to shake off the tension he felt.

Jaden wasn't the only one feeling tense. Getting a whiff of that unexpected compliment made Alexis' face warm as well.

The waiter led them to their seats and pulled a chair out for Alexis. The middle-aged man then handed them the menus and took out a notepad to scribble down their orders. As Alexis skimmed through the list of food, Jaden kept on shifting his eyes on and away from Alexis to the menu in his hands. She looked so stunning, so desirable.

And such thoughts were so new to him. He never considered these things about girls before. He once overheard some Obelisk Blue girls back at the academy before talking about how there was NO SET AGE when boys start liking girls in romantic ways, though he had dismissed the subject instantly from his head.

He watched her blonde hair flowed down her shoulders and stared at her soft, luscious lips. He wondered what it's like to kiss those lips. He was willing to bet that she'll probably taste so sweet. Tugging on his collar, he looked back at the menu. The desire to touch her was becoming more comprehensible to him. His body wanted her. There was no use trying to deny it. What about the heart? It was so easy to confuse lust with love. He was just a normal boy with hormones after all, and every boy gets this urge once in a while. Perhaps he was too thrilled by the fact that she was in such attire.

He remembered the bet and inwardly grimaced. Maybe he was simply influenced by the bet and the pressure. After all, he started noticing her as a girl when marriage was shoved into his head.

"You ready to order?" Alexis asked, putting the menu down. "I've already placed in my order."

Jaden fidgeted with the menu. "Ah, yeah…" He pointed at Menu Set A, showing it to the waiter. "I'll have this."

"Excellent choice, sir," the waiter said, scribbling on his pad. "Now please excuse me as I go place in your orders." He slightly bowed, then turned and walked away.

There was a piano and a small classical band, and the musicians were playing ballroom music. A few couples were already dancing to the sweet melody. With the candles and the music, the atmosphere was just perfect for couples.

"You will take her to dinner tomorrow night at 7. I already made the reservations. You can order whatever you like. Sky's the limit. But make sure she's going to have a good time."

The man's words echoed in his head. Since it was a must, then he needed to do something he never tried out before. "Alexis, we should dance," he said.

"I'm not really much of a dancer," Alexis replied.

Jaden stood up and held out his hand. "Just one dance, please…"

Alexis hesitated. She did not actually detest the idea of dancing. She actually took lessons as a kid. However, with Jaden as her partner, it meant holding each other's hand and being so close together. Their bodies have to touch. It was going to be one hell of a heart-pounding experience for her.

"Let's enjoy ourselves, Lex," said Jaden.

Lifting her hand to this, she rose from her chair and gazed into his eyes. "One dance…and that's it…"

Jaden smiled. "Sure thing!"

They walked to the dance floor as the music changed.

Alexis felt herself burning up and the only thing that stopped her from losing composure was the fact that Jaden was smiling at her, as if he was reassuring her. The feeling she gets when she sees his smile is so overwhelming, so powerful, yet so amazing. Jaden was the only guy that can make her heart beat so fast. She breathed a soft sigh when she found herself dancing to the beautiful tune of I Finally Found Someone by Bryan Adams and Barbra Streisand.

While he wasn't the best dancer in the world, Jaden managed to keep up with her pace and not to step on her foot. They were dancing quite properly, her right hand in his, her left resting on his shoulder. It took a relatively immense effort to remain composed, because the small gap between them could not prevent his scent to fill her nostrils—clean and fresh—and his face looked so smooth to touch. She wanted to run her fingertips along his face.

"You're a good dancer, Alexis," he said. "And did I mention that you look awesome tonight?"

She looked away. That was a surprise. He completely caught her off guard. "Yes, kind of…" she muttered, thinking of something to divert the subject away from her. "Jaden, where are you planning to go next after Domino City?"

"Umm…I'm not really sure."

"It's really a big coincidence that I was able to meet you in this city."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "Haven't you heard? There are no such things as coincidences. I think we were meant to meet." Since this was a big setup by that guy…

Her face warmed. She knew there wasn't any romantic notion behind those words, but she can't help feeling happy.

He was going to marry her because of a bet, he reminded himself. He had mixed feelings about it and he knew that she'll get hurt in the end if she finds out. But what if he marries her because of love? He couldn't really tell what his heart was saying to him at the moment. Love was a pretty complicated thing. However, if he were to truly fall in love with Alexis and make her fall in love with him, then everyone would be happy. Yeah, everything will be fine, right?

"Alexis…" With one easy movement, he pulled her against him. He wanted to hold her. "Let's make this a night we'll never forget," he said, linking his arms tightly around her waist.

Such closeness? She could feel the heat emanating from his body. Every part of her tingled in response. She drew a sharp gulp of air. Wait, she should relax, she told herself. She wasn't about to make Jaden feel that he was dancing with a stiff robot. But he was so warm and strong. She felt the perplexing urge to close her eyes and melt like honey.

"I'm really getting the hang of this," he breathed against her ear.

She staggered slightly. When he tightened his hold, she felt her head spinning. She'd never been ditzy with dancing before. "Sorry…Lost my footing there," she said with a little laugh. "But you're dancing fine."

He lowered his right hand to the hollow of her spine as they spun around. "We really look like a couple now…"

Her body quickly responded to the touch. Her skin felt feverish with heat as it rippled through her. Her chest, pressed against the hardness of his chest, felt heavy and full. There was pounding in her ears that pulsed together with the foreboding throbbing between her thighs. She felt like she was about to burst.

"Jaden…" she whispered softly. Her eyelids drooped and then closed as she drew a deep breath.

"Alexis…" His senses were going wild. Inhaling her sweet, tempting scent, he suddenly pictured himself kissing her. He wasn't going to deny his attraction to her. He wanted her to be even closer. He wanted to feel her bare skin against him. Desire surged through him like a tidal wave.

The song ended and the pianist started playing a song called I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith. Completely dazed, Jaden and Alexis drew apart and stared at one another. Both were silent, yet their hearts were resonating.

Jaden was the first to break the silence, as they returned to their table. "Boy, now I'm really glad I invited you here." He gave off a childlike smile to shake off the edginess.

The memory of how they'd been dancing flashed in her head. Alexis flushed a bit red. "You enjoyed the dance?" she asked, forcing herself not to stammer in front of him.

"Of course, especially since you were my partner," he said, smiling widely. "I'd like to do this again sometime." There will be many dates to come, seeing that the guy who set this up was determined to bring them together, and honestly he was looking forward to it.

At the end of the evening, as they chatted pleasantly before stepping into Alexis' hotel suite, Jaden took her hand into his. Heat rushed through his body again. Just a mere touch was enough to exhilarate him now. "I had fun," he said.

Remembering the dance and the emotions that followed, Alexis expected Jaden to drop her off by the entrance of the hotel. She was surprised when he decided to escort her to her room. He also held her hand all of a sudden. "I had fun too…" she replied, smiling. "Will I be seeing you tomorrow?"

"You will, definitely!" he answered cheerfully.

She stepped backward into the room, which was completely dark. "I'm glad that we're able to spend much time together." Sudden tension gripped her insides the moment Jaden squeezed her hand. "J-Jaden?"

"Alexis, I…I have something to tell you…"

Her heart began to race when he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "What is it?" She almost stuttered. "Oh, wait, it's too dark in here. I'll open the lights." She lifted a hand to the switch. He stopped her by latching his hand onto her wrist. That was unexpected. She didn't see him reach for her due to lack of light. "Jaden?"

What the hell was he doing? He just went in without so much of a plan and grabbed her hand. It seemed like his heart was controlling his actions. His heart wanted to hold her, to be with her a little longer, but he can't tell her that. It would be so awkward on his part. Plus, he wasn't even sure if this feeling was love or simply attraction. He was confused. Lowering his gaze to the dark floor, he heaved a sigh. The heart was a complex matter.

"You okay, Jaden?" she asked.

Releasing her hand, he flipped the switch and smiled up at her. "A bit tired, but I'm fine," he answered. "I'm ready to hit the hay." He opened the door behind him and did his signature pose. "Get your game on for tomorrow, Lex, coz I'm itching to duel you." It was partly true and false, because he simply brought that up to shake off some of his nerves.

"A duel? You're on," she said, her lips curving into the confident smile. "This time I'm gonna win." She completely regained her wits. Love was one thing, but when it comes to duels, it becomes a whole different story for her and Jaden.

"I won't go easy on you," Jaden said, winking an eye. "Man, this is exciting. Duels always get me so pumped up. Catch you later, Alexis!" With that, he jumped back, waving his hand at her, and closed the door.

A date then a duel with Jaden? Her little vacation was getting better and better by the day. She'd better prepare for the duel, she thought, as she started towards the door to lock it. Just then, by a twisted fate, the door swung open, much to her surprise, and she paused merely inches away from getting hit as the door swept past her nose.

"Alexis, I—"

He entered without warning, without so much of a knock because of his excitement.

Before they knew it, they felt each other's lips on their own.

To be continued…

JC: And the scene that actually happened in real life was the accidental kiss scene! Like I said, I was so surprised when it happened. I've always thought it could only happen in books and movies. It happened last two years ago. We were about to have a film viewing at the Audio Visual Room when the teacher asked my girl classmate to lock the door. She got up and walked to the door when a boy from another section entered without any warning. Then it happened! Their lips made contact and everyone, including myself and the teacher, were so surprised. WTF? I swear the victims turned red in embarrassment. Life is full of surprises. Well, that's all for Chapter 2. I had fun writing about Jaden's whirlwind of emotions here. Please review! No flaming!