JC: I'm done with this chapter and I'm done with my second PROMOTIONAL ART for WHITE VOW! It's already up on my DeviantArt. I've also provided a link in my Fanfiction profile page. I'm getting used to drawing Jaden now, and I'm proud of how I drew Alexis there. It's also my first time drawing Zane. Now let's get this show on the road.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, people, or its characters, but the plot of this story is mine. All rights belong to Kazuki Takahashi.
White Vow
Turn 16: The Line between Love and Fixation
David was infuriated even more when he walked into the arena to find that the duel was nearing its end. His irritation was balanced with astonishment, however. The duel was neck-and-neck. Partners Zane and Atticus were actually having a hard time against Jaden and Alexis. Of course, he knew of Alexis' strengths and abilities as a Duelist. The one that surprised him was Jaden Yuki, who seemed to have full control of the situation.
Both teams had battled it out fiercely and effectively until Jaden and Alexis' life points dwindled down to 1000. Zane and Atticus found themselves at a slight advantage with 1500 LP.
Zane stood alongside his monster, the Cyber End Dragon (ATK: 4000), while Atticus had his Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon (ATK: 2800)out. They were two spectacular power houses, the best in their decks. But Jaden and Alexis showed no signs of fear and apprehension. Elemental Hero Neos (ATK: 2500)and Cyber Blader (ATK: 2100=4200)were out on their field, ready to battle.
David clenched his hands. "And that guy is actually working well together with Alexis?" He didn't know if he could take much more of it. He was burning with jealousy.
"That boy is Alexis' fiancé, correct?" David heard a woman saying to her date. They wear seated in the row before him.
"Why, yes he is."
"I heard he was a Slifer Red student."
"A Slifer? With those impeccable skills? He's as good as Zane Truesdale."
"Yes, I know. It's almost unbelievable. This boy is really strong and kind of cute."
David's fierce blue eyes narrowed.
"I think they're the perfect match," another woman was saying to her friend.
"You think so? I think Zane's more perfect for Alexis. He's such a dreamboat," the friend muttered, giggling like a schoolgirl.
"Zane is hot, but Jaden's not so bad either."
David restrained himself from shouting at them. Jaden was slowly gaining recognition from the people there. And Zane was also favored, much to his dismay. It wasn't looking good at all. It was frustrating for him. "Jaden Yuki, I'll make you sorry for crossing paths with me."
Jaden raised a fist in elation. "I've got you now, Zane!" He had bypassed his traps, outwitted his spells, and Alexis, his girlfriend and partner, had destroyed Atticus' strongest monster a turn ago, leaving only Cyber End Dragon on the field. Though Zane and Atticus had 1000 LP, while his side had only 500 LP left, Jaden was confident. "Air Neos (ATK: 2500=3000), swoop right in for the attack!"
A smirk curved Zane's lips as he revealed his facedown card. "Not so fast, Jaden, because I'm using Battle Fusion!"
Atticus hooted in amazement. "Ain't your lucky day, huh, guys? With Battle Fusion, Cyber End Dragon now gains the ATK points equal to the ATK of the opposing monster."
"We can do the math, Atticus," Alexis declared, placing a hand on her hip, as she smiled confidently. "Question here is…Will the numbers be enough?"
"It's Déjà vu all over." Jaden pressed a button on his Duel Disk, activating the set card on his side of the field. "Here's my Battle Fusion! And thanks to this card, my Air Neos gains the ATK power of your dragon. Now you guys do the math!"
Zane showed no signs of worry. "Hmph…This sure brings back memories." He then flipped his second facedown card. "I activate a trap and I'm sure you're familiar with it, Jaden."
Jaden forced himself not to seem astonished by the trap known as Final Fusion. The card could only be activated when a face-up Fusion Monster battles an opponent's Fusion Monster. Each player would take damage equal to the combined ATK of the battling monsters. "So, you're gonna settle for a tie again?" he asked, grinning casually.
"Would you prefer losing?" Atticus said in a teasing manner.
Alexis shrugged. "No…We prefer winning." With one swift graceful gesture, she flipped open the set card on her side. "I'm gonna cancel your trap's effect with Solemn Judgment!"
Atticus' mouth fell open. "Seriously?"
"I negate Final Fusion's activation," Alexis announced, and then her trap card shone its light upon Zane's trap and destroyed it. "Sure, we had to pay half of our life points for this, but it's all worth it."
"Because our victory is assured," Jaden continued, pointing a hand toward Cyber End Dragon. "Air Neos, end this now!"
Elemental Hero Air Neos took flight and its body became surrounded by white streaks of light. It then swooped down and clashed into the Machine-Type monster, annihilating it from the game. With Air Neos' superior ATK power, the damage dealt to the opposing team completely wiped their life points.
The crowd went wild afterward, cheering for their stellar performance in the duel. All of them have performed exceptionally well. Their strategies were strong. Their teamwork was excellent. They couldn't have asked for a better way to end the night. Mrs. Rhodes, most especially, was very happy with the Duel. It was like receiving a thousand birthday gifts in one night. And she was indeed proud of her son and daughter.
Jaden jumped up and down like a child, waving at the audience and at his friends, with a big smile on his face.
"Attaboy, Jaden!" Jesse exclaimed, giving Jaden the thumbs up.
Syrus cupped his mouth with one hand and shouted out to his brother. "You did great, Zane!"
Atticus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That sure tired me out." He stared up at Mac in the bleachers and waved a hand at her. He watched her nod in understanding and smiled. He then perked up and wrapped one arm around Zane's neck. "But it sure was fun, right, Zane?" An evil gleam appeared in Zane's eyes, and the next thing he knew, he was on his knees clutching his stomach. Zane had literally stolen his breath away with a good elbow into his gut.
Jaden winced, as if he was feeling Atticus' pain. "That's gotta hurt."
"I can't say that I feel sorry for him," Alexis muttered, crossing her arms.
Zane walked up to Alexis, extending a hand to shake. "It's been a long time since I last dueled you. I'm grateful we had the chance to battle, Alexis," he said, his expression unusually soft that she widened her eyes in question. "You've grown so strong."
Taking his hand, Alexis smiled faintly, but her expression remained unreadable. Inside, she felt warm, thrilled, yet self-conscious, and she couldn't afford to let Zane or Jaden know. She hadn't thought about Zane and her past with David at all during the duel. She was too focused on defeating him and her brother. "Thanks, Zane. Coming from you, it means a lot."
"Hey, Zane!" Jaden placed a hand on top of their linked hands and smiled up at Zane. "I beat ya!"
Zane's strong and firm resilience returned as his lips curved into a smirk. "So, you did." He then withdrew his hand, letting it drop to his side. "Next time, we go one on one, and I'll make sure to give you a run for your money."
"Same here!" Jaden stated confidently.
Atticus let his smile drop, his eyes carefully watching his sister as she stared at her hand—the one she used to shake hands with Zane. He saw the pain and confusion in her eyes. Damn…I thought we're already through with this.
Her head tilted back against the couch. If she turned her head slightly, she could see Jaden pouring himself a glass of water. It was past two o'clock in the morning, and they had finally managed to be alone.
"Syrus was knocked out of the battle after a few shots," Jaden said, gulping down his water in one go. "Poor guy…Can't handle his liquor."
"You and Hassleberry shouldn't have forced him," Alexis said.
"But it was fun. Anyway, I'm surprised that Mac can drink so much and not get drunk."
"No kidding. Atticus can't even beat her in drinking."
"Zane was pretty hardcore too. Jasmine and Mindy became a pair of giggling schoolgirls when they got drunk. Hassleberry went on a rampage, while Jesse became a quiet little boy. People react differently to alcohol, huh? But it was fun hanging out with the guys again. Too bad Chazz couldn't join us." He set his glass down and went to join Alexis on the couch.
She frowned for a moment, recalling her talk with Chazz. The guy had left after the duel, stating that he had to get back to the Pro Circuit the next day. "Yeah…It was fun."
"I didn't really drink all that much. Just a couple or three glasses of wine." He rubbed his temple as he leaned back. "But I'm still getting this headache. You had a couple too, right?"
She giggled. "Alcohol. I have high tolerance for it. It's probably a genetic thing since mom doesn't get drunk so easily."
"Genetics…Oh, well…" He got up on his feet, turning his head to look at her, and he caught the sweet curve of her smile on her lips. "It's really late. I know I'm gonna get a major hangover in the morning."
"Everyone will," she said, rising to his level, as she flicked his forehead. "Hope you'll get a good night sleep." She brushed her fingertips smoothly against his cheek and smiled.
Jaden swallowed hard. He was feeling…something.
She walked with him to the door, and then paused as he looked back at her. "The Duel…It was amazing."
She nodded in agreement. "We're a good team," she said. "And you proved to everyone in the party that you're no—"
He took a quick step toward her, and in the next instant, his mouth came down on hers, cutting her off in mid-word. Jaden hadn't planned on kissing her. But she was there, and his heart kept pushing him to do it. She tasted so sweet, her mouth soft and startled under his for an instant and then softening, inviting. His tongue teased the fullness of her lower lip, coaxing her to open to him, sweeping inside when she did. She tasted of wine that suddenly seemed erotic. He felt her hands come up, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as she leaned into the kiss. He angled his head to deepen the kiss more.
Other than his mouth on hers and his hands on her shoulders, he didn't touch anywhere else. Some remnant of reason told him that if he put his hands around her, he wasn't going to be able to resist the urge. It was the very strength of his desire to do just that, to feel every inch of her body, which made him draw back. He was surprised himself. His thoughts rattled and his heart thundered.
She sighed as his mouth left hers, a soft, regretful sound that nudged at his already tenuous control. Her lashes lifted slowly, and she stared up at him with gentle eyes.
Letting shyness and awkwardness take over, he peeled his hands off of her and turned away. "Um…That was…erm…"
She giggled. His boyish naivety never ceased to amaze her. "You don't have to apologize for that, you know."
The kiss was okay, hell, I love it! But I wanted to do something else, something more. He mentally slapped himself. Maybe it was best not to think anything at all. Just say good night and run back to his room.
"Jaden?"
Blinking his thoughts away, he timidly turned back to Alexis. "Um…G-Good night, Lex!" he said before running off.
Alexis had found the blush on his face very cute. Jaden was still pretty new to romance, and she understood that.
Reaching the comforts of his room, he leaned back against the door, mindful of the throbbing ache in places he wasn't sure of. Feeling rather drained, he ran his fingers through his dark hair. What the hell was that?
Before he could bring himself to calm, the sudden vibration of his cell phone made him jump up.
"What now?" he grumbled under his breath before answer the caller. "Jaden here."
"Not bad for a Slifer Slacker. You have what it takes to make it into the pro, but not enough to defeat me."
Jaden frowned, recognizing the voice full of authority and pride. "You were watching the duel, weren't you?"
"Live streaming video."
"The Internet is sure reliable."
"I heard that you got in trouble with Mackenzie's son."
His eyes narrowed at the memory. "He's bad news, as if I don't have enough to worry about. There's still Alexis' old man, you know."
"You can manage."
"The hell I can!" He almost shouted out loud. "Mr. Rhodes and David wanna skin me alive."
"Just don't let your guard down."
It was an order, not a request, Jaden noted grimly, typical of HIM.
After the call, Jaden discarded his coat and shirt and settled into his bed. Aside from his unwanted enemies, he had been thinking of ways to tell Alexis about the bet with the MAN. He'd felt guiltier the more he felt happier with Alexis. He should tell her before someone else will. But was he prepared for the consequences?
Alexis was up early in the morning, sorting through the photographs taken from her mother's birthday party. The photographer they hired was really good. He had taken great shots, especially of her mother. Jaden and the gang also looked incredible in the pictures. Though it had taken a while, Alexis had already picked the images that would make it to her mother's photo album and frames. She had also saved her favorite pictures of her friends in a separate folder. Hopefully she'd get the chance to develop them when they leave the island.
Making a quick browse on the net, she entirely missed it when the door to her mother's office opened and someone slipped in with the grace of a cat, approaching its prey. Alexis narrowed her eyes when she noticed movement from the corner of her eye. "Who gave you permission to come in?" she asked coldly.
"I was looking for you, Alexis," David started, approaching her slowly.
Alexis stood and attempted to move away, but his hand grabbed her arm quickly. "Let me go, David," she threatened.
David pulled her into his chest. "Not after I do this," he said before crashing his lips against hers.
He took her completely by surprise, but it only took her a second to realize how wrong it felt. Pushing his strong, muscular form back, she fisted her right hand and punched him in the jaw. "You're an asshole!" she hissed, her blood boiling in anger. "Can't you take a hint? I don't love you! I'm not even interested!"
David clenched his teeth against the pain on his face. "You belong to me, Alexis, and I plan to be the only man in your life."
Alexis wanted to throw a punch at him again. "In your dreams," she said, stepping back. "You can die trying." She promptly stormed away, leaving David behind in the office. Her anger for him was so huge that she didn't pay attention to where she was going. She hit someone in the hallway, which almost upset her balance, but the person pulled her back in place. "I-I'm sorry," she said immediately, looking up only to find a pair of familiar emerald-blue eyes that almost seemed gray due to the lack of light.
Zane gave her a curious look as he released her. "Mind telling me why you look upset?" he asked.
Alexi shook her head, beaming with a smile. "I'm not upset," she said. "I'm totally fine."
Zane lifted a hand towards her face and brushed a finger under her right eye. "Don't lie to me, Alexis," he said, obviously aware of the state she was in.
She had tears in her eyes, and she hadn't noticed them. "I…I…"
"Come on, let's talk someplace else," Zane said, taking her hand in his.
She nodded and said nothing else as he led her into his guest room. She was in pain, he could tell that much, and he had a bad feeling that David caused the tears in her eyes. He had seen this fragile side of Alexis before. True, she was a strong, independent, and endearing young woman, but she also has her moments of weakness. She could cry and break as well.
"Tell me what happened?" Zane asked her the minute he settled her on the couch.
Alexis' shoulders tensed and she breathed a heavy sigh.
Zane touched her shoulder, tilting her chin up with his finger to look at him. "Alexis, you can tell me," he said. Suddenly her arms came around him and she buried her face against his chest. He couldn't tell if she was crying or not, but he could feel the grief in her heart. However, he had never been comfortable handling touchy situations.
"David…He…H-He kissed me," she said, voice muffled against his shirt.
It took a good amount of effort to force himself to remain calm, but he couldn't deny the anger building inside of him. "That bastard," he grumbled.
"I punched him for it…but it didn't make me any less bitter," she said, her voice almost shaking. "And it brought back awful memories." She leaned back, letting him go, as she lowered her head. "Memories that hurt me whenever I think about them…"
Zane's finger brushed away the stray tear that trailed down her smooth cheek. The cold mask on his face had faded. His eyes were surprisingly warm and comforting as they looked into hers. "Don't let those memories bring you down, Alexis."
Alexis sighed. "I know…I won't let it affect me. But I can't stand him, Zane. Why won't he leave me alone?"
"Because he's in love with you."
"There's a thin line between love and obsession."
Zane leaned back on the couch, crossing his arms, as he considered on his next choice of words. They've lapsed into silence for a brief moment. "Are you going to tell this to Jaden?" he asked.
Alexis lifted a palm to her face, heaving a sigh. "So he could start World War III with David?" She simply shook her head at the thought. "I'd rather not."
"David's not gonna leave Jaden alone."
"Doubt he could cause any real damage," she said with a shrug.
"How about your father?"
Alexis grimaced. "Another thorn on my side… But I've got Atticus and mom with me. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah…And it's nice to know that you're here for me as well," she said, gracing him with a grateful smile. "We grew apart after you graduated from Duel Academy. And when you turned Cyber Dark on everyone…I was so sad back then. It felt as thought you were out of my reach. We didn't even get the chance to talk during the GENEX tournament. You were so different."
There was only a slight widening in Zane's eyes. "It was a phase of my life I had to overcome," he said coolly.
"The bond we had…was lost," she said, pausing to meet his eyes, "or so I thought…"
"The bond was never broken. It was only weakened," Zane said, a small smile curving his lips. "We made up for lost time back at the hospital."
A little heat fired her cheeks. A familiar sensation shot through her, a mixture of fear and wariness, warmth and attraction that touched her core.
Zane saw the color flood her cheeks as he said, "Alexis, I know I shouldn't have said those words to you before you left, but I don't regret my actions."
She sighed for the umpteenth time. "Let's not make things awkward for us, Zane. Please…"
"Well if it isn't the Slifer Scum," the obnoxious voice of David drawled.
So much for his good mood in the morning, Jaden thought, as he gritted his teeth, and his hands balled into fist. He had woken up from a wonderful dream and luckily his head didn't throb that much from the alcohol. He had planned on heading downstairs and feed himself with a plate of delicious breakfast until he bumped into David along the way. "If it isn't the asshole," he retorted, tone a little spiteful.
David smirked. "You better watch your mouth, loser," he mocked.
"Says the guy who got beat up by his sister," Jaden said, rolling his eyes. "Zane gave me some inside scoop about you guys, and you don't have a pretty history with Alexis. Sorry, man, but you've got zero chance in winning her over."
David frowned. "Truesdale told you, huh?"
"Alexis is my fiancée, and she's perfectly happy with me," Jaden said composedly. "Take my advice and leave us alone. I don't care about your name or your so-called power. Just keep your hands off of her, if you know what's good for you."
The frown was then replaced with a conceited smirk. "You don't' scare me, Yuki," David said. "Alexis belongs to me."
Jaden was mentally telling himself to keep his cool, even when he had wanted to punch David so badly. "Give it up, man. You're nothing to her. You'll never have her heart."
David narrowed his eyes in anger. "Shut your trap. You sound like Truesdale."
Jaden raised a brow. "What the hell are you talking about?"
The blonde let out a short, angry breath. "He told me the same thing."
"Anyone in their right mind would say it."
"How much did he tell you?"
"Plenty enough for me to say that you're a complete jerk."
Instead of being offended, David let out a sinister laugh. "The guy resorted to blackmail, but I guess that's not a big of a deal for you. However, Truesdale left out some interesting facts on his relationship with Alexis."
"If you're talking about their pretend relationship, I already know. They did that to fool you and her old man."
David crossed his arms, looking unexpectedly confident. "The whole boyfriend-girlfriend act? Yeah, it was all pretend. Too bad I didn't find out about it sooner. But the feelings?" he scoffed. "Go ask Truesdale. I'm sure you'll be enlightened."
Jaden was hating his guts more and more, but his words were starting to make him feel tense. "Just what the hell are you trying to say?"
"Are you this stupid?" Waving a dismissive hand, David turned on his heel. "It's wasn't just a game of 'let's pretend' for Zane. It was at first, but he couldn't resist."
Feeling a sudden pang in his chest, Jaden let his eyes drop to the floor. "He couldn't resist?" he muttered under his breath.
David let out a small chuckle despite the anger he had felt towards Jaden. "You really have no idea," he said before walking off.
"You know, I miss this kind of bonding time."
Zane looked up at his best friend Atticus and offered him a small smile. "Staring out into the sea, feeling the calm breeze…Just like old times."
It was about 9 in the morning, and they were at the beach, by the shore.
"So…Um…" Atticus dragged a hand through his dark locks. "Erm…What's the deal with you?"
"What do you mean?"
Atticus looked at him straight in the eyes with a concerned look in his face. "What was my sister doing in your room earlier? I saw you two leaving at the same time."
"David forced a kiss on her," Zane said, shrugging and crossing his arms. "And I just happened to be the person she bumped into the hallway when she ran away from him." Zane noted Atticus' face going from surprise to irritated. "Alexis gave him a good punch though."
"That guy…Seriously, if he wasn't Mac's brother…" Atticus took a deep breath and exhaled to cool his head. "Well, anyway…You have my thanks, Zane. Alexis looked a little better after talking to you."
"I don't think she'll be mentioning this little incident to Jaden."
"Completely understandable…" Atticus said with a grimace. "But I'm gonna report this to Mac."
"How long is David going to stay here?"
"He's leaving tonight. He's got some business with the Pro League in the US."
"That's a relief."
"Putting David aside…" Atticus' voice trailed off as he stared to the sea once more. "Zane, I've always felt sorta guilty for what happened between you and Alexis."
"I have never blamed you, not once, Atticus," Zane promptly said. "You should know that."
"But…I think things would have been different…if I didn't disappear that time." Atticus breathed a heavy sigh as he lowered his gaze to the ground. "I've been regretting this whole time." And he had been hiding his true concerns under a façade of exuberance because he didn't want to worry anyone.
Zane shook his head at his friend. "This isn't like you, Atticus, so don't take the guilt-thing too far. It was me who made the choice. It was meant to be this way."
"Sorry…"
"No, don't be," Zane replied coolly. "It's better this way. Your sister is happy with Jaden, isn't she?"
Atticus nodded. "Yeah."
"Then I'm fine with it."
Atticus looked thoughtful as he brought a hand to Zane's shoulder. "But these kinds of feelings…You can't just brush them off."
Zane's hard expression softened a little as Alexis filled his thoughts. A small smile had etched on his face. "I loved her back then. After I changed…the feelings seemed so ephemeral, and then it returned gradually. I realized that I've always loved her. I'm not a selfish bastard like David. I'm not going to force myself on Alexis. I love her and I care for her. Jaden's a good guy, so I've got no complaints. I'm not going to interfere."
"You can't know how proud—and creeped out—that makes me," Atticus said with a mischievous smile. "Are you really Zane Truesdale? Because you sounded so mushy."
The cold expression returned along with a piercing glare. "Not a word of this to anyone. I mean it."
"No shit!"
"Atticus."
"This is probably the first time I heard you admit your undying love for my one and only sister."
Zane shrugged. "I love Alexis, that's that. Now let's stop talking about—"
"You love her?" a familiar voice cut Zane off.
Zane's jaw hardened, as Atticus stiffened in place. Simultaneously, the two of them turned around and found Jaden's surprised eyes.
To be continued…
JC: Oh, my, Jaden overheard Zane! Is he going to get jealous? Is he going to confront Alexis about it? David just loves to get under everyone's skin, huh? Well, that's all for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. Remember you guys can check out the 2nd Promotional Art in my DEVIANTART page. Please don't forget to review. NO FLAMES!