Author's Note:
So this is Chapter 2 and it is now set in our favourite and familiar Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's Japan where children's Card Games (on motorcycles) rule the world! This chapter is much longer and deals with all our characters. This fanfiction also takes 2 years after we have first been introduced to Yusei in the anime but it discards the events of the 3D movie.
Also, even though the anime has ended I began this fanfiction while the series was still on air…so if characters show up that should not be showing up it's because of that.
So I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review!
NineInchNailed.
Update: this chapter underwent a huge update on June 20th, 2011. The whole plot is still the same but I added a lot more characterization for Crow and Yusei, and offered a lot of insight into their feelings for Aki. I also pretty much rewrote everything (i.e. sentence structure, used different synonyms, etc) because I was unhappy with how this chapter held up compared to later chapters since I think my writing style improved a little (it's been over a year). Again, all the actual events are still the same they're just written a little differently because I'm crazy.
If I ever do any of such updates I promise you that it's never to alter the plot – it's usually to edit language or add descriptives. And I'm sorry if this annoys anyone who reads the chapters as they first come out and then, months later, finds out that something has been altered. I just suck and am a huge neurotic perfectionist at times.
2025-03-23 - I was randomly trolling the Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds wikia and realized I messed up the timelines with birthdays a bit with this setting. Yusei's supposed to be 2 years older so I changed Aki's birthday from her 19th to 18th now. That's the only update. Also apparently his official birthday is July 7th? I could have sworn it was June before. Anyway. Tiny update.
"The ordinary acts we practice every day…are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."
~Thomas Moore.
At 6:45 on the morning of his 20th birthday Yusei Fudo awoke suddenly and almost as if deliberately shaken awake. He sat up with a jolt and looked about with alarm, his heart thumping rapidly against his ribcage.
Early strokes of sunlight peeked through the window and warmly illuminated his small bedroom. A refreshing breeze gracefully played with the translucent curtains. It all revealed nothing other than a beginning of a particularly peaceful summer day.
Yusei breathed out and propped his elbows on his knees, rubbing his weary eyes. His heart rate calmed but for some reason he still felt broken. There was a grating headache in his temples. I must have had a nightmare earlier on, Yusei concluded although unable to remember. But bad dreams weren't infrequent with him, having been especially pronounced during the Dark Signers and WRPG periods.
When Yusei finally got up and began making his bed he suddenly became aware of a strange sensation in his left bicep. It felt sort of like sunburn as if he had inexplicably gone tanning overnight. But when he studied his arm he saw absolutely nothing wrong with it.
The weather might have been nice but so far the twenty year old Signer wasn't having an overly pleasant or straightforward morning.
Once again concluding that his mind was simply playing tricks on him, Yusei shook off any remaining feelings of unease and, instead, got dressed and went out for an early morning jog.
The city was still mostly in its slumber with the streets empty except for a few early joggers like him, a few cars here and there, and some yawning mailmen. It was a start of a warm and beautiful July.
Yusei actually felt no different today, on his 20th birthday, than any other day. In fact, he wouldn't have even remembered about his birthday if, for some reason, Crow Hogan didn't decide to remind about it last night. Everybody except for Jack Atlas seemed surprised and even somewhat upset that this wasn't brought up sooner. And Yusei, himself, didn't think it was a big deal.
Once he returned home Yusei took a long hot shower after which he came out feeling completely energized and rested. His left arm still burned but not so bothersome that he couldn't ignore it.
He changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed a sandwich from the kitchen, and then went down to the garage. There he proceeded to tend to his red D-Wheel which became damaged last night as a result of his duel with Crow: the motorcycle's front splash guard was crooked and some paint was scratched off.
The night before, 10:09pm.
As Yusei's Stardust dragon obliterated Crow's weakened Black Feather Armored Wing monster, Crow sighed and drew nearer to his friend. Both of their D-Wheels slowed down and the two duelists drove casually towards the exit of the stadium.
"Okay, Yusei, you're just lucky I didn't have the trap card I wanted during the last turn. There is no way you would've beaten me then!" Crow exclaimed, hiding his frustration. He believed that Yusei and he were about equally matched in strategy but that it was Yusei's greater selection of powerful Synchro monsters that tended to give him that one turn advantage. The dark-haired Signer also tended to have incredible luck. This was particularly observable when he activated Shooting Star Dragon's special effect which required drawing Tuner monsters to boost the number of attacks per turn: the ruling King of Games never seemed to draw less than 3 Tuners.
"This was definitely a close game, Crow," Yusei agreed with a smile, "I can't wait until we duel again."
Crow couldn't help but to return a satisfied smirk and glanced towards the exit of the stadium, noticing their friends and spectators sitting at the stands: Jack Atlas and Carly Nagisa, Jin Himuro, Tenzen Yanagi and Saiga, and Aki Izayoi.
Carly was laughing at something that she, herself, had probably said and was leaning her shoulder against Jack's, while Jack sat there looking bored. Himuro, old man Yanagi and Saiga were engaged in a heated discussion, seemingly about the duel that just occurred. And Aki was apparently busy texting somebody on the cellphone.
Crow's eyes casually lingered on Aki and all of a sudden he was awestruck.
To be honest, Crow had always found the redhead quite attractive. Of course they were nothing more than friends – and good ones at that – but that didn't mean that he was oblivious to her beauty – and Aki was a stunningly beautiful girl. And, frankly, this time a second glance at her was more than justified: instead of her casual (and still pretty sexy, he thought) corset, magenta skirt and coat combination, Aki was dressed for occasion. A silk black dress impeccably hugged her figure, showing her ample cleavage and bare shoulders. The dress was also quite long – reaching nearly to her feet – and a large slit on its side revealed smooth perfect legs. The finishing touch was a pair of black high-heeled pumps which further accentuated the length of her legs.
Damn she looked hot.
Crow openly ogled her, sort of forgetting that he was in the middle of driving. And Aki just sat there, concentrating on her mobile, and seemed to be completely oblivious to the outside world. Her red hair was completely down and carefully brushed without her usual silver pin holding her bangs at the front. And a silly smile played on her lips as she read from the phone screen.
Crow's mouth snapped open and he choked out, "Yusei…look at Aki."
"What?" Yusei asked in confusion and turned his head in her direction. And once he caught the sight of her his eyes widened.
…But unfortunately Yusei wasn't given nearly enough time to gape because, at that point, the front wheel of Crow's bike casually drove into his because its owner was far too distracted to watch the road.
"Crow!" Yusei yelled and quickly wheeled his bike to the opposite side to prevent a crash and then breaked. This caused Crow to snap out of his trance and he urgently hit the breaks as well.
The two sharply stopping D-Wheels made the same loud screeching noise and the long tire tracks imprinted on the road. Yusei stirred his D-Wheel into balance and finally stopped, looking back to see smoke coming from the tires that overheated from the friction.
Crow's tires smoked as well but his bike managed to come out without a scratch. Nevertheless Crow couldn't care any less and instead hurried towards his friend, deathly worried that he might have injured him.
"Yusei, are you alright?" the young man shouted. He was almost having an anxiety attack as he remembered the time Yusei crashed and almost died in his battle with Kiryu. Crow's spiky orange hair seemed even crazier now almost as if reflecting his agitation. Without waiting for an answer, he started to feel Yusei up almost as if trying to find any broken limbs.
Yusei dismounted his D-Wheel and removed his helmet before carefully pushing Crow's hands away. "Crow, I'm alright," he answered and took in the image of the other Signer, with relief noticing that he was also unharmed.
Crow looked completely guilty and miserable. "Yusei…ano…I am so sorry, I should have been watching the road."
"Don't worry, Crow," Yusei smiled at him, "We are both unharmed and that's what's important." He knelt to take a closer look at the slight damage to the front wheel and estimated, "This is just a scratch and nothing I won't be able to fix in minutes tomorrow."
Crow returned a light smile and nodded. "Thanks, Yusei. I'll stop by to help out tomorrow at the garage. Ahhh," he sighed in aggravation, "I can't believe I did this! What a fool!"
The friendly spectators finally reached the two duelists and started jittering endless worried questions: "Are you okay, you guys… Are you sure you're okay… What happened… Is your D-Wheel broken now… Are you hurt, Yusei… I always knew the two of you weren't good at anything…"
For a split second the world went mute for Yusei as his eyes picked out the red-haired girl out of the crowd. He noticed her worried face and then his gaze traveled over the spectacular curves of her body played up by the tight dress. Finally his eyes lingered on her long legs, and then the swell of her bust, and he couldn't look away.
She looked...stunning, to say the least.
Yusei involuntarily began wondering what the occasion was and why he hadn't heard anything about it. Then he remembered that he and Aki never actually spoke much about everyday hobbies, activities or other silly things…most of their interactions were pretty much confined within the Team 5D's and its tasks. He thought that maybe this was the time to finally begin breaking this pattern from now on.
He also realized, just then, that he was now staring at her far longer than could be attributed to an innocent or a friendly glance. The sound suddenly came back on and Yusei quickly glimpsed at Crow's D-Wheel on the distance, pretending like he was trying to find it all along but couldn't because everyone was blocking his view. He hoped Aki would be oblivious to his admiring of her.
"So I don't really get what happened," Carly Nagisa pondered as she looked over at the red D-Wheel. Her thick round glasses slid down her nose and she absently pushed them back up. "So the two of you just collided? Just like that?" It was hard to believe that two very capable Duel Riders like Crow and Yusei could let a mishap like this happen considering the impossible feats they did regularly and at dangerously high speeds. Yusei's special Accel Synchro being an especially notable endeavor.
"I'll tell you how: they just never completely learned how to drive," Jack Atlas answered his girlfriend of four months and then settled his amused gaze on Yusei, "Who knew that going under the speed limit would be the current King of Games' ultimate downfall?"
Yusei calmly met the older Signer's mocking glare. Although Jack was teasing there was a sharp quality reflected in those violet eyes. Perhaps because anything that had to do with a title of King of Games the blonde took very personally and seriously.
Still, it was rather amusing how Jack decided to go about ridiculing him. Considering it was Jack Atlas that was secretly "famed" in Team 5D's for the numerous amount of times he'd fallen off his D-Wheel.
Yusei settled on a neutral and civil explanation. "We were talking and became distracted."
Crow nodded, chewing on his lower lip and looking at his boots. He didn't only feel awkward because it was mostly his fault that Yusei's bike got damaged. No, the main source of his discomfort was the fact that he openly ogled Aki Izayoi (which might've been the main reason why he wasn't paying attention to the road) and then that he stupidly let Yusei know about it.
Now the actual problem wasn't the fact that Crow checked out their mutual female friend – it definitely wasn't the first time he'd done it and he couldn't really stop himself from looking at attractive chicks. No, the real problem was Yusei who, as of a year ago, placed "tabs" on Aki and now decidedly kept everybody else away from her. And although he'd admitted to somewhat liking her he hasn't done a single thing about it ever since! It was pretty much "fine, I may sorta like her but I don't know when I'm going to ask her out, and if at all. But now none of you are allowed to ask her on a date, muahahaha, bros before hoes."
…Okay, maybe it wasn't exactly like that but still it captured the basic premise of that day.
Crow sighed and inconspicuously peaked at Aki out of the corner of his eyes.
To be fair, this "prohibition" didn't actually bother Crow too much. It wasn't like his occasional "studying" of the redhead ever amounted to anything more. Sure he liked Aki a lot…but not in that way. He admired her looks, yes (and he knew that Yusei and him weren't the only ones), but he mostly liked her because she was a wicked duelist and could kick serious ass. He also really liked her courage and loyalty, things he'd always looked for in people. Additionally, she was very approachable and easy to talk to; she always offered her support and sympathy which were nice to have in contrast to Jack's pompous mocking and Yusei's often emotionally detached problem-solving. But…at the same time, there was something very gentle about her, something that was the direct opposite of her psychic power. It was almost as if a subtle force that lived in the innermost layers of her being, something that not even she seemed to be aware of, and something that shone through the darkest of times. Whatever it was, Crow felt it was fragile but powerful and beautiful. It would only be many years later, when Team 5D's have all went their separate ways – some together and some alone – that Crow Hogan would realize that it was precisely that energy that was Aki Izayoi's true and purest power; that the energy which made her so vulnerable was the same energy that made her the strongest of them all. He would finally understand that that same energy was also the reason why he was so hopelessly and irreversibly drawn to her. And the reason why…he loved her.
Thoughts form, pass and create their own time-frames, and all of this passed through twenty year old Crow's mind in a space of no more than five seconds. He looked up and noticed that Saiga had closured the red D-Wheel and now examined it with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Hmm, Yusei, take a look," Saiga said and Yusei turned to the fellow engineer, "There is only a dent in the splash guard and scratched off paint. I don't see anything else!"
"Ah, it was only a minor collision," Yusei nodded.
"Yusei…I'm glad," Aki Izayoi whispered. Her warm amber eyes glistened.
The blue-eyed man flashed her a quick smile before putting all of his attention to his bike, showing Saiga where else he noticed some traces of damage. When Bruno wasn't around – and he was his primary go-to mechanic for advice – Saiga was the next best alternative for technical matters.
Aki's lips parted and she let out a quiet sigh.
Crow somehow heard it and looked at the girl questioningly. It was then that he took notice that Aki's eyes were fixed on Yusei. That she was watching him. Attentively. Hopefully. And Crow felt a stab of something weird and incomprehensible because it wasn't jealousy which was an emotion as powerful as it was vicious. If anything it was closer to…acceptance.
Yusei was the leader. He was the one everyone listened to, looked up to, and would follow until the very end. And although he might not have been the tallest out of all of them he still effortlessly commanded attention and respect. And he was still taller than Crow who was usually the shortest of all his friends (Rua and Ruka twins notwithstanding since they were only children but began catching up). Crow's short stature used to be a source of discomfort for him when he was younger but early on he had learned to battle discomfort with humour. And he never had any problems with girls on that front although, for some unknown reason, girls often tended to write him off as a 'friend'. Especially those that were taller than him. Crow didn't care about height differences if he really liked someone but he knew that most girls preferred a guy to be taller than them. In fact, when he was a teen, Crow believed that short guys were probably not allowed to like tall girls. Or they were but only secretly and in silence because it never made any difference and only saved them both an embarrassment; because an overwhelming number of times the girl would pick his taller friend, a guy that was supposedly more masculine and made her feel more feminine. Which is why it was sometimes hard for him to compete with Jack, Yusei and Kiryu. Nonetheless, Crow's humour was his strongest weapon and an advantage that somewhat placed him above his 'luckier' friends.
However, it wasn't just about height in this case. That was just a minuscule detail in a grander scheme of things.
Because not only could Yusei probably be considered very handsome, but out of all of them he was also the strongest. It didn't have much to do with actual physicality but, rather, the fact that Yusei's strength ran deep through his very being and manifested itself in many ways. There was power radiating from him…charisma and magnetism only comprised a speck of that, because it was almost like an aura which felt nearly primordial in nature; everybody was just drawn to him. So the fact that Aki fell for Yusei wasn't unexpected and Crow saw it coming from miles away and from the very beginning. If anything, Crow understood it as nothing short of almost natural. And there was something else: Yusei was good. It seemed redundant and simple and almost stupid to admit, but that was what it was. Everything he stood for, everything he did...goodness and power just radiated from him. He was the most noble, loyal and trusted person and he would do absolutely anything for his friends or anything he deemed worthy.
So Crow wasn't jealous. No, because there was nothing to be jealous of since he didn't actually like Aki Izayoi as more than a good-looking friend but Yusei did and he wouldn't do anything to sabotage Yusei's happiness. In fact, he would work hard and do everything in his power to ensure that Yusei is happy. And he wasn't hateful because he just couldn't be: not towards Yusei, his best friend. He was apathetic only and maybe just a little sad at most, and that sadness was locked away far into the depths of his heart, so deep and so hidden that he didn't even know it existed.
And right now the only thing that was prominent in Crow's mind was guilt.
Guilt because he wrecked his best friend's D-Wheel and noticing a prominent dent on the red splashguard especially added to him feeling bad. It also didn't help that tomorrow was an important event.
"Arghh," Crow muttered in agitation and shook his head, "I can't believe this happened! And right before your birthday too, Yusei!"
Yusei froze and then shot a quick warning look to the Signer but it was too late.
"What?" Saiga exclaimed.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," Jack yawned.
"Why wouldn't you tell us, Yusei?" Carly pondered.
"Wow, Yusei…way to go. Why haven't you told us sooner? We would have planned something or had time to get you something too!" Saiga continued exclaiming while Yanagi and Himuro nodded their agreement.
Yusei felt bad and struggled to explain that he never celebrated his birthdays and never actually cared to, and that it was a personal choice unrelated to anyone.
At first Crow was mortified having realized what he'd blurted out but, slowly and surely, a mischievous grin began forming on his features. He knew of course that Yusei preferred to keep his birthdays secret – being that he preferred to give rather than be given to – and because he thought that such celebrations would be just a nuisance for everybody. Crow's remark, however, was accidental – he didn't actually mean to disclose Yusei like this. But now seeing him squirm with all the questions and complains Crow realized that this was pretty hilarious. It was always amusing whenever Yusei managed to lose some of his I'm-so-cool-nothing-is-ever-awkward-for-me composure. So Crow got an urge to poke just a little more fun at his expense.
And he had a good idea of how to go about it.
So Crow turned to the amber-eyed girl standing next to him and loudly exclaimed, "Aki, wow! You're so dressed up today! May I ask what the occasion is?"
Instantly a bright blush appeared on Aki's face. "Oh, Crow…thanks," she answered, avoiding his grey eyes and awkwardly crossing her arms, "I-I had a gala today. Um, the planning committee from the Academy decided to throw a celebration because a representative from the legendary Kaiba family promised to make an appearance…but he ended up not showing up. But a few of my classmates suggested that we go as a group so…"
"Awesome, that sounds like it was a lot of fun!" Crow exclaimed, blatantly ignoring everything she said so he could finally move on to his next point, "And did you have a date?"
Aki's face turned an even darker shade of red. "Um…n-no…"
Yusei, meanwhile, slowly stood up from the ground, dusted off his knees and began staring at Crow with a blank look on his face.
"Really? I can't believe it, Aki! You should've asked me or Yusei over there to go with you. I would've loved to come!" Crow continued hitting on her, not paying attention to Yusei and everybody else's curious gazes at the unraveling situation. "You know I can pull off a mean tuxedo? And also, unlike Yusei, I'm a wicked dancer!"
At this point, aside from her obvious blush, a smile touched Aki's lips and she nodded, saying "Crow…hai, next time I'll definitely invite you!" She then glimpsed at Yusei and noticed a strange look he was giving Crow. However, what upset her, was that he seemed to be completely oblivious to her existence. Did he even notice that she was wearing something drastically different from her usual dress? That she did her hair differently, that she wore more make-up, that her new shoes made her almost as tall as him?
And did he even notice that she wasn't present at the stadium until the last twenty minutes or so of his duel?
Aki began feeling idiotic and she scolded herself for caring so much.
But Crow continued grinning playfully at the redhead, not caring that she was noticeably more into in his best friend than him. He wasn't trying to persuade her anyway, it wasn't his goal this time. His fingers began twirling around his earring, his body language conveying his obvious interest in her (and he even contemplated reaching out and actually touching her for further emphasis) when Yusei finally spoke up.
"Crow," he began, shortly and somewhat dryly, "Do you remember that one time all of us attended a formal event and you got so drunk you ended up vomiting all over your date?"
Crow's smile quickly vanished.
Aki stared at Crow with surprise while the rest of their silent group eavesdropped with curiosity.
The blue-eyed Signer nonchalantly continued, as if he wasn't revealing an embarrassing story but rather talking about weather. "I think that perhaps you should warn your potential dates of that incident," he said, still avoiding looking at Aki, and shrugged, "Who knows, it could happen again."
Crow felt a blush creeping to his face. Normally he wouldn't have cared who knew about this stupid story and how, but the way he was put into spotlight and the way Aki looked at him now somehow made him uncomfortable.
Also it seemed that Yusei didn't take to teasing very well (or at all!) when it came to Aki. Sure he had a much different sense of humour and was dead serious about 99.9% of the time but he was still easily capable of taking a joke and shrugging off any mocking. But not now. Hmm.
"Ugh, whatever, Yusei," Crow sighed and rolled his eyes. "It happened ages ago so who cares! So my offer still stands for future, Aki," he winked at her.
Aki just smiled awkwardly at him.
Deciding that he needn't say anything more, Yusei walked back to his D-Wheel where he began carefully trying out the motor and breaks, hopefully getting ready to leave.
"You think you'll be fine driving home?" Saiga asked, "We could help wheel your bike to your house.
Yusei tested the breaks, steering and fluids again, and nodded, putting on his helmet. "Ah. It seems fine."
"Cool, in that case I'll stop by tomorrow," Crow said and hurried to his own D-Wheel. "Thanks for the duel, Yusei, and sorry again! Bye everyone!" he called as he sped out of the stadium.
"We're going to go too now," Carly followed suit, "Fun duel, you guys!"
"I was beyond bored," Jack gave his compliments before he and Carly departed on the Wheel of Fortune.
Saiga made arrangements to share a cab with Yanagi and Himuro before turning to the two remaining Signers. "I'll come by tomorrow too, Yusei, and help with fixing up your D-Wheel," he promised.
"Thanks," Yusei smiled and mounted the motorcycle. And then he looked directly at Aki and said, "I can drive one person home." He knew she didn't drive here – not in this dress.
Aki's eyes widened as she stared back at him.
"Thank you, sonny, that'd be great!" old man Yanagi exclaimed. Himuro and Saiga began snickering.
"Aki?" Yusei asked explicitly (and a little urgently now) and held out his hand.
Yanagi looked genuinely disappointed while Aki nervously studied the polite hand in front of her, hesitated…and then shook her head. "Thanks, Yusei, but it's alright…I'll cab with Himuro, Yanagi and Saiga instead, they're going my way anyway."
The highly perceptible would've been able to compare the current expression on Yusei's face to that of a person's whose puppy just got run over by a bus.
It stung. Just a little.
Yusei quickly concealed his disappointment and shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said offhandedly and drove out of the stadium without a second look back and before Yanagi could volunteer himself again.
And now, on the morning of his 20th birthday, Yusei sat next to his D-Wheel, lost in thought as he reminisced over previous night's events.
He wasn't quite sure what to make of yesterday or what to read into it but, ultimately, he decided not to dwell on it. Besides, it wasn't as strange as the persistent dull ache in his left arm. Yusei would've found that quite irritating if it wasn't faint and easy to ignore.
So he finished his remaining breakfast and got to work: he needed to even out the indented splash guard on the front wheel and then paint it over. Although he could've easily gotten his D-Wheel fixed by paying some car shop to do the job, Yusei would never actually consider this option. This D-Wheel was one of his personal treasures and he refused to let anybody else fix or modify it (or even touch it) without him being present.
Yusei analyzed the problem in front of him and in seconds came up with a very simple solution.
After about half an hour – during which he removed the damaged splash guard and then primitively used a hammer to smash the dent back – the surface turned out to be moderately even. So he used the roller to flat out the bumps until the exterior was as smooth as it was before the collision. Lastly, he thoroughly polished it and put a careful and high quality red paintjob.
Yusei stepped back and admired his work. He permitted to commend himself on it and that wasn't something he'd done often.
It was 9:20am that he finished putting the remaining (and borderline neurotic) touches on the repair, when a tall and casually-dressed man pranced into the garage.
"Ehhh, Yusei? You're already finished?" Saiga exclaimed and almost dropped the big cup of coffee and bagpack he was holding, "But…I was supposed to help out!"
Yusei looked up and smiled. "It's okay, I couldn't sleep and got an early start."
"Anything left that I could do?" Saiga hoped.
"Well…" Yusei looked down at the splash guard in his hands, trying to think of something. "You could help me attach it back to the wheel, if you'd like."
Saiga nodded happily and then chuckled, "If I'm here early and you're already done imagine how disappointed Crow will be: he'll probably get here for 3pm if he manages to wake up!"
Yusei couldn't help but to grin.
It was a miniscule amount of time before the D-Wheel was completely fixed and ready to face the world. And once that was done with, Saiga presented the Signer with a birthday present: it was a new portable toolkit to aid him with any mechanical work on-the-go and Yusei was both surprised and incredibly grateful.
And the birthday visits didn't end there.
Around noon, Jack and Carly stopped by. Carly ended up snapping a picture of him – under a pretense that she'd run it in her journal's next issue and file it under celebrity birthdays – and Jack solemnly shook his hand.
They were great, as always.
A bit later on, Rua and Ruka also paid a visit.
Although the twins were now thirteen going on fourteen, they didn't really change much in the past two years. Their adolescence seemed to be going shockingly smooth considering the trying challenges in their whole lives and especially in the later years.
So Rua still wore the same sunny and bubbly demeanor as he did when Yusei first met him. His gray-gold eyes constantly glittered with excitement and nothing ever seemed to bring him down because he always had hope even when everything seemed lost.
That hope was his sister, Ruka. Ruka was younger and was the sweetest person anyone could have the pleasure of knowing. On the surface she seemed to be the more grown up of the two: she was calmer, quieter and more patient. But anybody who really knew the siblings knew that it wasn't exactly true. Ruka could at times be just as bubbly and carefree as her brother and Rua could take on a serious and controlled role in a heartbeat. Together, the twins were remarkably strong and an unstoppable force, forever protective and supportive of one another. It was obvious that even if the twins grew to become more differentiated with time, that their bond would never be in question.
Perhaps the one truly noticeable difference between how the twins were two years ago and now was their height: they've grown at least three to four extra inches, although they were still the smallest of the Signers. And then there were a few details that gradually changed about them, day-by-day. Ruka now wore significantly more dresses and skirts, and recently discovered the wonders of make-up. Her new favourite thing was a lip gloss and she often changed colours, liking how such small and seemingly insignificant feature made her feel about herself: she felt pretty and bashfully feminine. And while Rua's appearance didn't change as much as his sister's, he did take liking to a black motorcycle jacket with a dragon stitched on its back which he now wore every day, even if it was insufferably humid out. The style of said jacket was suspiciously similar to Yusei's.
"Yusei, we found out just today from grandpa Yanagi that it was your birthday!" Rua exclaimed, his voice revealing subtle notes of sadness. He couldn't help but feel like he let down somebody he'd always looked up to.
"Sorry, Rua," Yusei reached out and ruffled the young boy's hair, "It just slipped my mind."
"How could you possibly forget your own birthday?" Rua was shocked, "A birthday is the most important holiday of the year! All the toys, and cake, and presents, and friends coming to celebrate, there is nothing better!"
"Oh Rua," Ruka sighed while Yusei smiled.
"Well anyway," Rua moved on, "Ruka and I found you something." He dug into pockets of his shorts and presented Yusei with a new duel card. It was a Trap called "Dragon's Retribution" which allowed a duelist to target a single dragon Monster on the field and inflict 300 points of damage per turn to whoever the (unfortunate) owner of that monster was. The trap card stopped working when the targeted dragon was no longer on the field.
"We thought that this was a useful card, Yusei, because if you ever face somebody with a dragon you could inflict some damage on them-" Ruka began explaining before Rua excitedly interrupted, "Yes, and maybe even cause them to release their targeted monster before you attack with Stardust!"
Yusei felt so touched, holding the card and looking at the two kids who cared and actually went and found something so thoughtful to give him. "Thank you, Rua, Ruka," he said from the bottom of his heart and bent down to give them hugs.
It was about a quarter past three when Crow finally made his grand appearance.
He broke into the garage with a bright expression on his face and a squished (he might've accidentally sat on it) homemade chocolate cake in his hands, and yelled out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YUSEI!" He was then stopped dead on his tracks when he realized that the whole gang was already there and that he was very late both to the party and to the D-Wheel repair.
"Nani?" he gaped with confusion, "Am I really that late?" and caused everyone to burst into laughter.
The rest of the day went by loudly, hectically, and happily.
More and more Yusei realized just how dear every single person in this room was to him. They were the best friends anyone could ever ask for and he'd protect them all until his very last breath.
However, Yusei was more than deeply aware that something was missing today.
Or, rather, someone.
Aki Izayoi.
Yusei didn't really want to admit it but her absence today kind of began to bother him more and more as each hour dragged on. And although he didn't let his inner turmoil affect his outward appearance, somehow Crow found out about it anyway. He was either a brilliant guesser or a mindreader but when, halfway through his duel with Rua, Crow casually glanced over at Yusei, Yusei could tell that the ginger knew exactly what and who he was thinking about. A single word needn't be uttered.
Unfortunately it wasn't just a simple glance. A millisecond later Yusei distinguished annoyance in Crow's eyes and suddenly felt frustration of his own.
Crow could pretend to understand all he liked but the simple truth was that he didn't understand. No, couldn't.
Mostly because Yusei himself wasn't sure if he actually understood.
When it came to Aki Izayoi, a ruthless psychic duelist turned courageous Signer and now one of his closest and dearest friends, Yusei Fudo often felt uncharacteristically perplexed.
There was a point in time – Yusei wasn't exactly sure when it started or if there was anything that triggered it – but one day he simply realized that he thought about Aki quite differently from anyone else; especially compared to the rest of the Signers…who she was a part of, and the rest of his friends…who she, of course, was too. The first part of the mystery was why.
Why was she so different for him? Why couldn't he look at her and view her the same way he viewed everybody else? Was it because she was a girl that was close to his age bracket? No, because he knew plenty of girls, during every point of his life, and it wasn't like that with them. Was it because she was such a capable duelist? Well, no…because Jack and Crow were very strong duelists too and he definitely didn't think about them that way. Then…was it because she was one of the strongest and most kindhearted people he has ever known? Was it because of her determined but gentle personality? Because she was…beautiful? Or maybe because…her smile could light up the room? Whatever it was, once or twice (well, admittedly a lot more times) Yusei caught himself mesmerized by the sun burning in the rose-red silk of her hair, or staring at her amber-brown eyes, the naturally red lips, the creamy unblemished skin…
And this was wrong.
This shouldn't have been happening.
These weren't platonic friend-borderline-sibling thoughts about another Signer but rather…almost like…that of a potential partner. It wasn't how friends were supposed to like friends! A true friend wouldn't look at their buddy and think of the way the rim of her pleated school uniform skirt bounced as she walked; the way she'd cup her hand over her mouth to hide her giggle before breaking into laughter, a subtle blush touching her cheeks; or the way her eyes glistened happily and then, for a fleeting and almost invisible moment, there would be a tinge of inexplicable sadness in them…and she would avert her gaze.
More than once Yusei wondered, why? Why was she unhappy? What was it that bothered her? It seemed to him like the sadness he had seen in her before. That pained, tortured sadness entwined with powerful anger as she screamed words of hatred at anyone that dared to cross her path, to betray her…to forsaken her.
But then within the next moment she would glance back and there would be not a trace of that heavy worrisome glint. There'd be left only relaxed lightheartedness and a spark of amusement and…maybe curiosity?
And he would think he must've imagined it. Because she was happy now. Because she laughed so much now. Because she had defeated her inner demons. And he wouldn't see that sparkle of grief for months to come…but then it would abruptly resurface again and become a taunting, unresolved unease pinching somewhere deep in his chest.
And it was like that, just like that: when it came to her it were often these little things that seemed undetectable to others. Things he never thought he'd notice about anyone before.
There was this thing she sometimes did…where she absently combed her slender fingers through her hair and then pulled stray locks back from her temples. This exposed a small ear which normally hid under the soft mane of hair and revealed the elegant curve of her neck. Yusei didn't know why but he liked it when she did that. It was stupid and it didn't make any sense but for some reason he found it fascinating. But, to be fair, he had found her fascinating since the first day he'd laid his eyes upon her and he knew it. The day the hurricane blasted from a mysterious cloaked figure and whistled in his ears, the day his Crimson Dragon mark lit up and burned for the first time since his and Jack's battle, and the first time he saw that unforgettable red hair cascade about her, her face hidden by mask, and the first words she ever said to him. Two simple words spoken in that soft haunting voice: "You...too?"* And Yusei knew right then that she was like Jack and him; that she was a part of them; and that she was not to be feared, ridiculed or hated like everyone promoted, but that she was misunderstood. That even though she was incredibly powerful she was also vulnerable. And lonely.
Thankfully days like those were long past. Aki Izayoi was no longer a Black Rose Witch but a normal young adult living her life (if you discounted her involvement as a Signer), attending school, having many friends and loving parents who supported her every decision. That tormented pain has been replaced with happiness, and that emotionless white mask has been destroyed and replaced by those mesmerizing eyes and a dazzling smile.
Oh god, that smile.
The smile that could take all the troubles away. The smile that made everything better, brighter. The first time she smiled directly at him Yusei honestly almost lost his balance. He remembered staring at her, like a fool, as a sudden realization donned on him: she was beautiful. Aki Izayoi was beautiful and she was his friend.
But it wasn't just about her good looks. At times it felt like it was all about contrast: he was often covered in grime working in the garage and then Aki would drop by after class and she'd be just so…so…neat? Maybe a better word would be radiant. Everything about her would be impeccable to the lack of wrinkles on her uniform to her polished shoes to her glossy schoolbag. What he admired was not only the care she put into everything she did but to how effortless it all was, too. How…elegant. Maybe that could be part of the explanation as to why he sometimes caught himself looking at her hands.
Once she stopped by and asked him for help with physics and he remembered watching her as she went at the problem after his explanation. Her brows were furrowed and a pink tongue peaked from the corner of her lips. When his eyes dropped to the notebook he became aware that her left hand was resting just centimeters away from his right. Sure they were sitting side-by-side at his work desk but it did surprise him since he saw just how easily he could've ended up touching her hand by accident. He didn't know why but the thought of that suddenly made him feel funny in the pit of his stomach; fluttery.
Yusei also noticed then, for the first time, how elegant her hands were. And how small compared to his. They were delicate and almost doll-like, donning an accurate manicure. In contrast, his own seemed rough and oversized, almost. It didn't help that there were a few motor oil stains on the back of his fingers.
What was probably more astounding was that it suddenly occurred to him that it'd take only a small stretch of his pinky finger before he could hook it with hers. He found himself analyzing both his strange desire to do that and the possible outcomes of that action. It would be such a miniscule movement and yet it would cross an impossible distance.
But what would he say when she'd stare at him and ask what it was that he was doing?
Could he pass it off as accident if she jerked her hand away or looked at him with bewilderment or, perhaps, disgust?
He wasn't sure. But for some reason he didn't want to think about any of this right now.
Slowly, dazedly, he began inching his finger towards hers when Aki exclaimed, "DONE!" and pushed her notebook over to him.
Yusei came to his senses, half relieved half disappointed. "Great," he said, clearing his throat, and quickly looked at the open pages.
Aki watched him, eagerly anticipating his response. But when long minutes passed with no feedback she impatiently urged, "So…um, is it correct?"
Yusei couldn't answer. For some reason he couldn't concentrate on the actual problem and found himself enthralled with her handwriting instead. It was small and neat, even in draft notes. His eyes also found a few random doodles on the bottom of the page. One of them was a small (albeit a little crooked) heart and the other was a flower which sort of resembled a rose.
Or, actually, maybe it was a stick-person…? Yeah, it looked more like a very wiggly stick-person.
"Yusei?" Aki called.
For a second time in minutes Yusei awoke from his stupefied daze. What's wrong with me? he thought, near panic. "It's great, Aki," he hurried to answer and returned the notebook to her. It wasn't a lie…it was a guess. Besides, he was more than certain that she did it correctly this time. She was very smart and it never took her more than one try to get something impeccably right. Sometimes he wondered why she asked for his tutoring to begin with.
"Yay," Aki said simply and beamed at him with that smile.
Yusei gaped at her, that fluttery feeling in his stomach returning to taunt him with increased strength, and then quickly looked away.
And this led into the second part of the mystery regarding Yusei Fudo's feelings towards Aki Izayoi. The mystery, of course, was what were these feelings exactly.
He supposed he liked her…romantically, but unfortunately he had no real basis for comparison. He had a couple of crushes in his life; he had experienced casual liking; and he had a few rarer times when he felt what might've been lust. He had no real girlfriends – or, rather, infatuations that lasted past a couple of weeks or months – but he wasn't inexperienced in romance. But whatever this was…it was different and nothing he'd ever faced before. There was physical attraction, definitely, but it wasn't just that. For one, it lasted for almost two years now and instead of fading away it seemed to become stronger, more potent. You didn't just want the same person with same intensity and greater after much time has passed, right? Person with whom you haven't exchanged so much as a few touches and not even a hug until only recently, right?
It occurred to him a few times that this might have been…love. But that was a thought he pushed out of his mind as soon as it made its presence known. Because truth of the matter was that Yusei didn't actually know what love was. Love was never a pivotal theme in his life. Dreams…friendship…loyalty…strength…survival…those were the themes that coloured his existence, and unfortunately there was never a place for love, whatever it could've been. And if love meant liking someone a lot and being willing to do anything at all for them, wanting to be there for them whenever and wherever, then…then perhaps he was in love with several people. Or maybe because love took such a backtrack to everything else when he was growing up that he was no longer actually capable of it; maybe there was a certain niche for this emotion and if not tapped into early on and properly developed…then maybe it just stopped existing.
But…Yusei also knew that it wasn't exactly true. He knew that he loved his friends…Martha…his parents…and other select things and ideals. But maybe it wasn't love as much as it was living for them, breathing for them, and willing to die for them. And it was kind of like that with Aki but it was still somehow different, and at times it was more.
And because Yusei wasn't certain that was why he never did anything about it. He never confessed his liking…his crush…his lust, his whatever it was, to Aki. He never asked her out or did anything in ways that could, without a doubt, be interpreted as his interest in her. Because how could he?
Aki wasn't just a random girl, a stranger he saw on the street and found attractive. It wasn't someone with whom he could take a chance and walk away from if it didn't work. No, Aki was one of the Signers and, most important of all, she was his friend. If they did get together but it didn't turn out well, would they be able to reconcile? Would they be able to work as a team the same way they did before? Or would it change everything, or even destroy, and affect the destinies of other Signers and not just theirs?
How could he go on if he lost Aki as his friend? If they were no longer close, no longer supported each other, no longer knew each other? No longer…saw each other? The imagined scenario of that was enough to send chills down Yusei's spine and make him feel borderline physically unwell.
So Yusei's uncertainty rendered him immobile in this matter. One of the things that were always expected of him was being right. Having not a speck of doubt. Knowing what was best. Because, in some obscure almost mystical way, fate has chosen him to be a leader. And Yusei accepted it and he wouldn't want anything other, but this came with responsibilities which often intimidated him. He couldn't stand the thought of letting anyone down, of being potentially wrong – not because he couldn't admit he was incorrect if someone pointed out the faults of his ways but because of the enormous weight some final decisions of his ultimately held – and of losing anyone dear to him (the day Kiryu was taken away to prison was almost unbearable enough, but when the news of his death broke out a part of Yusei's heart had died, and it would've stayed so permanently if Kiryu hadn't returned). Thankfully, the few times Yusei had failed or lost his way, his friends were always there to catch him and to guide him, and he had learned from his mistakes and how to avoid similar failures in the future.
But unfortunately...this matter with Aki wasn't something he thought he could risk and not something friends could aid him with.
Crow was the first to ask and he was the one friend who genuinely tried to understand. Somehow – underneath his silly, often inattentive, and hotheaded demeanor – Crow managed to pick up on some subtle signs of Aki liking that Yusei had apparently given off and casually confronted him about it. "So you have a little crush on her, big deal," were his exact words and he encouraged for an actual date to resolve any sexual tension once and for all. This was right before the WRPGs too. And that was the first and last time Yusei had tried to verbalize what he felt but without revealing his more deep-seated issues and concerns, any of that insecure darkness within himself. He confessed to Crow that he was confused. That he didn't know what he wanted. And that he wasn't going to do anything until he was absolutely certain.
Crow's reply was simple.
First, he carefully asked if Yusei was really sure about being so unsure. And then he asked if that meant that Aki Izayoi wasn't off-limits.
It didn't matter if he was joking in that last part but Yusei only had one answer - "No." It wasn't possessiveness or lack of regard but rather a plea to a friend. Yusei asked Crow not to go after her not because he didn't care about his friend's feelings – because if Crow stepped up and revealed to seriously liking her (since he was always a bit of a flirt) then it would've taken priority over Yusei's ambivalence and Yusei would've stepped back in a heartbeat – and not because he wanted to assert some control over Aki. No, he asked because this ambivalence still caused him some heartache and because the few stabs of jealousy he'd experienced around her were more than enough to make him never want to experience them again.
Fortunately, Crow didn't seem to mind and only cheerfully encouraged him. That definitely eased any discomfort Yusei felt about the 'prohibition' he had involuntarily imposed.
Jack Atlas was another story. He only found out that Yusei had a thing for their mutual female friend when Crow explicitly notified him about it. His response? He fixed those violet and almost permanently harsh eyes on Yusei, contemplated for a few moments, and then simply told him to "Go out and get laid." And this was okay because nowadays Jack put his friends on par with his own interests, and so he meant well even if it seemed far off from normal people's definitions of good-at-the-moment advices. Still, he wasn't a right person to go to for sympathy or for suggestions regarding human behavior. He simply couldn't interpret or read others; that type of skill seemed almost beyond him. But he'd always offer grounded recommendations when it came to things like dueling or getting ahead. He never sugar coated anything – he always told you exactly what he thought, even if it was mean or hurtful, and every so often that type of truth was the most important to hear.
Lastly, twins Rua and Ruka didn't know anything about this and they didn't need to. Although Ruka once randomly pointed out to Yusei that he and Aki would make a good couple because they looked nice when they were together. Yusei wasn't quite sure what to make of that but he appreciated the comment.
Beyond the Signers (aside from Aki, obviously), Yusei never came close to confiding in anyone else regarding this subject; not Bruno not anyone from Satellite. He wouldn't even have talked about it at all if it wasn't for Crow. It was his own predicament and he didn't believe that talking to others could do much to solve personal issues.
And now, months after the WRPGs and, subsequently, the Arc Cradle, Yusei was still in the exactly same spot. And since those feelings weren't going away and he wasn't anywhere closer to making a decision, Yusei often resorted to simple techniques to ease his mind. It wasn't avoidance and it wasn't ignoring…but at times it was easier not to look at Aki, if he could resist the temptation; and being preoccupied with anything else – Team 5D's, Signer destinies, dueling, working on D-Wheels – sometimes helped him stop thinking about her. Ironically, she had become the only person he knew about whom he'd think about the most and, simultaneously, the least. But he could never stop himself from dreaming. No, his dreams were impossible to stop and impossible to prevent from dipping into the pool of desires he had buried: desires he had so desperately tried to hide and suppress until they were no more; desires that were so vivid and aching in the unconscious reality that he'd wake up breathless, flushed, and guilty.
Nonetheless, Yusei somehow found an inner state where, dreams aside, he was doing quite okay. Friends should only like each other as friends, was his motto. That way friendship would be at its most real and pure, not sexual attraction hiding under the pretense of friendship only to turn away if affection wasn't reciprocated. It wouldn't be fair: not to Aki, not to himself, not to anyone. Everyone deserved only the very best and honest of him.
And yet still, sometimes on those days when the sky was sleepy gray, when a sense of greater and crushing purpose seemed impossibly far, when he'd be surrounded by his friends and they'd do nothing special but just be together, all of them, doing nothing at all…on those days Yusei would sometimes look over at Aki and his heart would both hurt and somehow grow brighter at the same time.
Yusei sighed and stared at the industrial-sized bottle of hair gel in his hands. It was, of course, Crow's actual birthday present to him in addition to the squished cake. Yusei was so engrossed in thought, absently running his eyes over the bottle's labels and the fine print, that he didn't realize that another person had entered the garage until he suddenly felt a gentle touch of a hand on his shoulder.
"Yusei…" he heard a soft feminine voice and his eyes widened. He quickly span around and came face to face with Aki.
"Aki…hi," he mumbled. "I-" he began and was instantly interrupted by excited screaming coming from Rua and Ruka.
"Aki-neesan!" the twins squealed as they ran up to the older girl and jumped to give her hugs. Aki pretty much became like a big sister to them and she herself considered them to be her younger siblings and loved them all the same.
"Aki-neesan, I heard that you almost got to meet Kaiba-sama last night. What a pity you didn't!" Rua exclaimed and Aki nodded with a sad smile. "It wasn't Kaiba Seto himself, actually, it was just supposed to be somebody on his behalf. Still the same, nobody came."
Yusei casually noticed that Aki wore her usual outfit with the corset and garters today instead of that gorgeous dress from last night (which was still quite fresh in his mind and, he guessed, in Crow's as well) but nonetheless she looked just as stunning. In fact, she always did.
When the twins ran away Aki faced the blue-eyed Signer again but now with a smile playing on her lips. "Happy birthday, Yusei," she said and then opened her purse, searching for something inside.
"Thanks, Aki," Yusei answered and suddenly imagined himself saying "I'm happy you're here, without you it's never the same". He unconsciously bit on his tongue: that vision felt so real that he could almost hear its echo in his ears. Instead, he offered her a polite smile.
"And um…I-ah…" Aki suddenly stuttered and drew in a breath, "I…I also got you something." Her fingers closed around the gift but she couldn't bring it out. Hesitating, she looked around uncomfortably, wishing for them to not have been surrounded by people.
Yusei swallowed in a throat suddenly dry as his pulse shot up to light speed. She…got me something? he thought. Although that appeared to be a natural outcome of today it didn't change the fact that she actually did it. As if her presence wasn't enough.
"Um…okay, here it is," Aki finally mastered the courage and took out something small wrapped up in a glistening red paper which successfully kept its contents hidden. She moved closer to him and placed the tiny bundle into his hand. For a fleeting precious moment her fingers touched his palm and Yusei felt like an electric charge passed through him. He actually wished it lasted longer.
"Aki…thank you," he said, unable to look at her now. Because there was a chance that his eyes would give it away. It. Whatever this turmoil of emotions could've been. "What is it?" he asked as he carefully began unwrapping the gift and soon enough a necklace was resting in his hand. It was a silver pendant shaped like an eye with a tear drop, like something from Ancient Egyptian mythology. It was held on a thick leather band and was something that seemed almost tailored for him.
"This is an Eye of Horus, Yusei," Aki answered bashfully, a hint of pink colouring her cheeks, "It's an ancient symbol of protection…and since you usually find yourself in trouble I thought that this could be something useful…" It was her turn to look away and she nervously played with her fingers, "Do you…do you like it?"
"I do," Yusei replied and he wholeheartedly meant it. He instantly put it on and when the necklace hung loosely around his neck, for an invisible moment a beam of sun bounced off it and it flickered. It was as if a hidden energy suddenly came alive. "Thank you, Aki, this is great," he added, not noticing anything out of the ordinary as he was now too busy gaping at her.
"Really?" Aki looked up and brightened with a smile, "I'm glad…"
The two Signers then simply gawked at each other for a couple of really awkward seconds.
Yusei really felt like giving her a hug but he worried it would come off as strange or, worse, sexual, especially since he was so conscious about his actions being interpreted as such. He's hugged Aki before but it was only that one impulsive time on her 18th birthday and when nobody else was around. It was also something that she seemed to be very uncomfortable with and afterwards Yusei felt really stupid for having done it.
Actually this brought up another issue related to Yusei's indecision regarding his feelings for Aki Izayoi. An issue that was maybe the most important: the fact that he didn't actually know what Aki's feelings for him were if she did, in fact, have any in particular.
To be fair, a few times he did notice Aki looking at him in ways that could be interpreted as being interested in him. Or in some things she said or did. However, the actual timing of those threw him off. For example, he picked up a couple of those signals in the beginning of their friendship, close to when they've all defeated the Dark Signers. And then, around that time, she also closured him and explicitly thanked him for friendship and his believing in her. "You've done so much for me, Yusei," were her exact words, "I'm so thankful…I would've been lost without you." That pretty much rendered him speechless: he didn't think he actually did all that much besides offering her unconditional support. And she always had all the goodness and potential within her, he didn't need to create or instill it. She was misguided, yes, but she was not weak and he knew she would've found a right way eventually, with or without his help. And being thanked for friendship was an odd thing to experience.
Nonetheless, from that point on, Yusei wasn't sure if what he interpreted from her was actual liking or only gratitude mixed with some type of admiration. Maybe she thought she still needed him to guide her, something he thought she was strong enough for from the very beginning. He truly hoped that wasn't the case.
And then…there was Divine.
Divine was the leader of Arcadia organization and he was the one that took Aki in when she had no one else and roamed the streets. He also clouded Aki's mind and taught her that there'd be no one out there who'd accept her but him and Arcadia. He and his movement were also behind some seriously atrocious things. However, he was still a big part of Aki's life and there was no denying it. Yusei didn't know what kind of a relationship he and Aki had - it was really none of his business - and if it never went past teacher and student, or guardian and ward, or friends, or if it actually went into...more (and hopefully not, considering the age difference and Divine's creep factor)…but whatever it was, Aki was absolutely crushed when Divine was gone. Even after she had found out that he had been using her and what Arcadia had been doing, Yusei could tell that his death had shaken her. It once even occurred to him that the inexplicable traces of sadness he at times observed in Aki were over Divine. Perhaps in some ways she still missed him, he who was a monster but who had nevertheless offered her kindness and acceptance when she was utterly alone.
So added to Yusei's own complicated uncertainty was his inability to interpret Aki's signals and the fact that she used to have a very influential male companion. Yusei was torn and hesitant to risk it, to risk rejection and to risk hurting all Signers all together. In addition to all that, lately Yusei began noticing that Aki had been slowly becoming a little more distant: she wasn't around as often, she had more friends outside of the group, and at times she seemed dreamy and spaced out during hangouts; as if she wasn't invested in all of them as much anymore. And those glances of possible attraction that he seemed to pick up from her before? Those were practically nonexistent now and he often attributed those to his own imagination.
Today he was so happy to see her and he just wanted to hug her and thank her both for coming here and for even bringing a gift. Today felt like a day from before, before it felt like she was slowly moving away, when they all hung out without troubles and hang-ups. But how could he tell her this? How could he give her so much as a hug after how she had reacted to the one he gave her only a month back?
Thankfully, the staring contest was interrupted by Rua screaming "Yes!" at the top of his lungs because he had just won a duel against Crow. And Crow standing there, looking ecstatic, as he was so proud of Rua for gaining impressive dueling skills over such a short amount of time.
By the time Yusei turned back to look at Aki she had already walked away to chat with Carly whom she'd recently befriended on a very close basis. And then it didn't take her long before she wished everybody good night, saying that she needed to leave. Although Rua and Ruka asked if they could tag along Aki assured them that next time would be better.
When she sped away on her D-Wheel, Crow walked up to Yusei's side as he stood by the open garage door, his blue eyes absently fixated upon her departing figure, and whistled. "Makes you wonder where she's hurrying off to, doesn't it, Yusei?" he remarked but Yusei just shrugged and looked away, refusing to give in to the bait.
It was around 8pm when the rest of the gang decided to depart.
They all wished him a happy 20th another couple of thousand of times and then dissipated in different directions, some in groups and others by themselves. Crow and Saiga offered that they go check out some bar uptown ("Maybe even a strip club," Crow suggested with a wink) but Yusei passed, citing fatigue as an excuse.
He actually did feel kind of tired and his arm still inexplicably ached around his left bicep, but he mostly didn't feel like watching Crow and Saiga get wasted (since he was never a drinker) or going to some shady strip club which were never his cup of tea.
When the last person finally left, Yusei picked up mail which he'd forgotten to get in the morning, locked up the garage, and then went upstairs to his small kitchen. There he brewed himself a cup of tea and quickly skimmed through the envelopes. Then among all the bills and advertisements something caught his eye.
It was a thin and kind of rumpled envelope with his name and address inscribed in careful handwriting and, curiously, in English.
There was no return address.
After studying it for a short while, Yusei opened it and saw that aside from a letter it contained something else. He took a look at the handwritten letter first and read:
"My cards have been there for me every step of the way but now I am no longer a fit guardian for them, and no longer a capable container for their powers. Rather than let them be discovered by the wrong hands I have passed on my legacy to those I know can protect them and use their powers wisely. I entrust this one to you, Yusei Fudo. Use it as a means of protecting what you believe in and the ones you love,
Y.M."
Once he finished, Yusei read it over a few more times trying to make sense of it. He was completely perplexed having no idea who this "Y.M." was or how he knew who he was or where he lived. In addition, although the letter itself was in Japanese, the honorifics were reversed as though it was written by a predominantly English speaker. It seemed this letter was out of country.
For a time, Yusei put the letter away and looked at the second component of the envelope. It was concealed in a brown paper and even then Yusei could've guessed that it must have been a Duel Monsters card.
But then, once he unwrapped it and gazed upon the card "entrusted" to him, his eyes widened from surprise.
Back at him was staring a red snarling dragon, twisted as if caught in a middle of flight, with a double mouth and numerous sets of teeth. It was an astonishing Level 10 monster with Attack/Defense of X000/X000, and with "Divine" Attribute.
Just as comprehension began sinking into him, Yusei suddenly felt as if his left arm had exploded. It was a sharp and overwhelming pain akin to his skin being set on fire and being carved into with a knife at the same time. He let out a cry of pain, dropped the card, and quickly grabbed onto the kitchen table to stop himself from falling over. Numbly, he felt warmth trickling down his arm.
The Egyptian God card of "The Sky Dragon of Osiris"** gracefully floated to the ground and then lay face up on the linoleum floor, catching the drops of his blood.
*This is based on the subtitles translation of the Japanese dialogue. Japanese Aki said, "Omae mo?". Not sure what dubs made it like but I'm sure it's something similar of the sort – I mean, how else would you interpret "You too?"
**The Sky Dragon of Osiris (from Japanese subs) is "Slifer the Sky Dragon" in the English dub. Even though I'm used to "Slifer the Sky Dragon" as the card's name myself (since I watched the original Yu-Gi-Oh on 4Kids), I think that "the Sky Dragon of Osiris" sounds so much cooler (and it fits in with the fanfiction's plot better *hint*hint*). Besides, "Slifer the Sky Dragon" is much better as "Slifer the Executive Producer" anyway…yay for Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged ^.^