Jaden stood in front of his dormitory, bag hanging off his shoulder loosely. A light zephyr mussed his hair, tickling the skin of his face, and he let out a long, wavering breath of relief.

Summer had been amazing, but he had missed Duel Academy, even with its stream of assignments and tests which he failed to partake in as often as he could get away with. Absentmindedly, he wandered over to the cliffside, settling himself down, legs crossed as he took in the sharp scent of salt emanating from the sea. He couldn't wait to be able to see the sun setting again from this very spot, having yearned for the view of golds and oranges.

The tranquillity was interrupted by a voice he knew too well for his own good, passing by behind him. Hearing Chazz, even without seeing him yet, Jaden felt thrown back to the time they had spent at the beach house. Jaden had woken up the morning after the Alexis-related fiasco to Chazz's sleeping face, and it had shaken him at the time. Chazz looked so peaceful while he slept, the morning sunlight filtering in through the gaps in the curtains and landing in patches on his skin. Nothing else particularly eventful happened between them during the vacation, but he was thankful for that. Chazz had suffered enough.

Returning to the present from his thoughts, he turned to look at Chazz as he passed by him, ready to greet the other.

Then he noticed the state Chazz was in and had to stop himself from bursting into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

As it happened, Chazz appeared to be drenched head to shoulders in blue paint, looking extremely displeased with his predicament as he made a beeline towards the Slifer dorms. Sometimes Jaden wished he had an ounce of impulse control as he shot up, slinging his bag over his shoulder again as he ran up to the boy, still suppressing stray laughs at how ridiculous Chazz looked.

"Morning Chazz!" Chazz's head whipped round to look at him, face set in a deep scowl which Jaden knew was fully caused by the blue paint drying on not only his hair, but also skin and clothing.

"I think you can see I'm a little busy," Chazz retorted, continuing to walk, Jaden matching his pace with his, still grinning.

"I thought you were let back into Obelisk Blue after the Genex Tournament," Jaden continued, still amused but also glad to have already settled back into their familiar back and forths. Chazz tutted, glaring accusingly at the paint stains on his coat.

"As you can see, things happen, slacker," Chazz sighed as the two of them finally reached the door to his room. They entered, and Chazz started to take his stained coat off when he seemed to notice something off about the room. It took Jaden a few extra moments to catch up with him, not noticing anything at first. Then the bathroom door opened, revealing a figure both of them recognised far too well.

Blair Flannigan stared at Chazz and Jaden for a few moments before she couldn't stop herself laughing at Chazz's expense. Jaden couldn't blame her exactly, he hadn't been able to stop himself either, and he didn't have the extra motive of having lost to Chazz in the Tournament held at the end of the prior year to add to any sense of rivalry. Blair very much had, seeming to take great pleasure in the sight.

"Okay dork, what are you doing in my room," Chazz desperately tried to ignore the laughter his appearance elicited, but Jaden could see the flush building gently on his pale complexion. Endeared, he started to reach out to try and comfort the other in his moment of embarrassment, but just as he was about to do so, he caught Chazz's eyes shooting him a confused gaze. He stopped himself, raising the hand to rub his neck sheepishly, sending Chazz a toothy grin. Something in his chest loosened when Chazz went back to glaring at Blair unhappily, the prior tight feeling in his chest one that he hadn't noticed.

Blair smirked at Chazz, crossing her arms across her chest, looking smug as though she'd just won an argument.

"I claimed it first so it's my room."

A short argument ensued, Chazz pointing out how he had the room remodelled for him, and Blair refusing to back down. Slowly, it dawned on Chazz that he would not be getting his room back any time soon, his already bad day made significantly worse at the news.

"Cheer up, Chazz!" Jaden placed a hand firmly on Chazz's shoulder, giving him a reassuring thumbs up and smile combination that he hoped would make the other feel at least a little better in regards to the news. "At least you can always bunk with me."

Jaden's brain had been running on autopilot when he was speaking so his own words hit him just a little after they seemed to reach Chazz. They looked at each other for a few moments, Jaden beginning to imagine rooming with Chazz for a year, wondering if he would manage to make it to graduation. Chazz seemed to be wondering the same thing but probably for very different reasons, Jaden mused, the darker haired boy seeming to reconsider all of his choices leading him to this point. When Chazz was thinking, his brows furrowed differently to how they usually did, Jaden noticed, taking the sight of Chazz in properly for the first time since their time at the sea resort. His heart thudded in his chest as he waited for Chazz's reply.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Jaden, Chazz let out a breath of resignation. With a curt nod, he agreed, and Jaden felt his lips curl up in a bright smile filled with relief and unadulterated joy at the prospect of being roommates with Chazz Princeton. If nothing else, this way he could keep an eye on Chazz, get to know him better, make sure he's okay. The bruises once more resurfaced to Jaden's mind, filling his gut with dread. Reminding himself it was ultimately Chazz's decision if he ever wanted to talk about them, Jaden felt his resolve strengthen once more. He'd help Chazz as much as he could, feeling like if he had to give up the world for Chazz he would. Momentarily, his mind reminded him of Chazz's mad infatuation with Alexis and how he seemed to stand no chance in comparison.

He shook the thought away.

After Chazz sent one last displeased glare in Blair's direction, the two left the most comfortable room in the Slifer dorms and climbed up the stairs to Jaden's room. Chazz looked around his new home, unhappy acceptance painted on his features as he took his coat off and placed it on the back of a chair. On instinct, Jaden felt himself try and search for marks on Chazz's skin, but found that the other was wearing long sleeves, hiding any potential bruising. He had not been very subtle either, it seemed, his new roommate sending him a tired glance. They were alone now, and though Chazz didn't let up completely, he definitely seemed more at ease. Or maybe it was just Jaden's imagination playing tricks on him.

"I'm using the bathroom," Chazz stated, looking away from the Slifer's concerned gaze, brows furrowed deeply as he hesitated slightly in the doorway to the shower for only a split second before heading in, closing the door behind him.

Jaden felt himself stare after him for a moment before getting up and smiling to himself. He was grateful to be able to spend more time with Chazz this year as roommates, hoping they could become closer friends even if Chazz never thought of him the way Jaden would have liked. He still harboured a foolhardy hope that somehow, in some way, things would work out for him the way he would have liked. After all, his luck up to this point had been incredible, everything lining up to work out just fine. What was wrong with trusting his luck in winning over Chazz's heart too?

He walked out of the room, leaving his belongings. Having decided that a walk to take in the sight of the school was what he needed, he set off at full speed, the walk immediately becoming a run towards the buildings he had come to know like the back of his hand over the past two years, the sound of crashing waves filling his ears. He couldn't have stopped smiling even if he wanted to.

Lessons wouldn't start until the next day, but groups of students milled around the corridors, and he greeted everyone that he knew with a joyful grin. A lot of the Slifer students who had entered the academy with him in first year had made their way up in ranks, and he was happy to see everyone thriving as he ran through the corridors. He didn't see anyone he was particularly close with, but that didn't matter, appreciative nonetheless of the friendly faces.

Subconsciously, Jaden had found himself heading towards the school's roof. He ran over to the railing at the edge of the patio, taking in the sight of the island from a height. The sea seemed to shine as the sunlight refracted off the waves, and he rested on the rail, leaning on it comfortably as he appreciated the view. There really was no place like the island.

Out of nowhere, he heard the sound of the door to the rooftop opening, disrupting the serenity. He turned, curious who else had made their way to the area.

He had never seen him before. The boy who stood before him seemed to be his age, with teal hair and bright green eyes like emeralds. Compared to the majority of students at the school, this person stood out in his appearance, making Jaden wonder how it would have been possible to miss him. Especially when the biggest thing about the boy hit him.

A small duel spirit rested on the boy's shoulder, seeming completely at ease in his presence. Jaden blinked a few times, unsure that he wasn't seeing things. Except for Chazz, he hadn't ever really met anyone as attuned to duel spirits as he was, and for a second it threw him before he felt a large smile grow on his face.

"Wow, that's one cool duel spirit you have there," as he walked up to the other, he noticed winged kuriboh appear by him, curious to the newcomer just like Jaden was. The spirit on the stranger's shoulder looked them over, seeming displeased by the sight of Jaden's spirit, but stayed put, content to watch, nuzzling closer into the boy's neck. The boy in question smiled, looking over at his spirit affectionately before looking back at Jaden, walking over closer to him too. They met halfway before either of them spoke again.

"Thanks," he spoke with a drawl, lips upturned in a confident yet somehow still gentle smile, eyes twinkling as he looked at the spirit again. "This is Ruby."

"Nice to meet you Ruby," Jaden smiled at the duel spirit, feeling the excitement grow in his chest at the fact that the other had already proven to be attuned to spirits. His skin felt overloaded with electricity, like he was about to explode from the excitement.

The two entered a comfortable conversation about duel spirits and duelling, comparing decks and chatting as though they had known each other for years rather than for the half an hour that they actually had. They had a lot in common, and the boy seemed genuinely kind-hearted and to love his spirits as much as Jaden did. Thinking about this fact made Jaden realise that he had forgotten to ask his name, and he held out a hand with a grin.

"By the way, I'm Jaden Yuki."

The other looked at his outstretched hand for a second before smiling back brightly, taking his hand, grip firm.

"Nice to meet you, Jaden." Before he could say anything else, the door opened once again, revealing the faces of Jaden's best friends. Syrus let out a sigh of relief upon seeing him, running up to him with Hassleberry on his tail. Jaden got up, beaming at his friends, both of whom he hadn't managed to see since the beach resort getaway in the summer either. He greeted them, hugging them both tightly before letting the shorter boy explain why they seemed so out of breath. Just like every year, Jaden had managed to forget the annual opening ceremony, his friends taking it upon themselves to find him before he missed it.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked over at his new friend, apologising that he had to get going before the three of them set off at high speeds towards the main hall. The room had been mostly filled, but they miraculously found three consecutive seats empty and settled themselves down in them. From across the room, Jaden spotted Chazz sitting alone, one leg crossed over the other, looking down at the main stage. As though he felt Jaden's eyes on him, he looked up, meeting his eyes. The brunette waved at him, smiling brightly across the room, and Chazz shook his head but, after a moment of thought, waved back a little. Jaden settled back into his seat, grinning at Chazz a moment longer across the sea of students, the other looking back at him with what from a distance looking like an expression of confusion as to why Jaden was beaming at him the way he was. For Jaden, it brought back the memory of walking side by side with Chazz along the beach, the ebony haired boy questioning why Jaden was with him instead of chatting with his other friends. He wondered how he could prove to Chazz how much he wanted to be let into his life, if not as a lover at least as a close friend.

The opening ceremony began, as always begun by Sheppard who gave a few words of welcome to the returning and new students. Jaden knew the spiel, this being his third run of it, and he wondered if he could afford to sleep through the rest of the ceremony and not miss anything important. As this exact thought passed through his head, Sheppard strayed from his script that Jaden knew, making his ears perk up. Onto the stage walked three figures, all of whom he had never seen before. Shepherd introduced them as exchange students from their sister schools - Axel Brodie, Adrian Gecko and Jim Cook. A fourth, missing student was announced, but had been missing from the beginning, creating a wave of whispers that reverberated across the auditorium.

Turning to Syrus and Hassleberry, Jaden joined in, just as curious as every other student in the room as to the identity of the mystery duelist.

"I wonder who this missing student is," he mused, earning nods in accordance from his friends. At that exact moment, the door closest to them opened, the teal haired boy from earlier walking in, a bright yet apologetic smile on his features. Jaden watched, stunned as he made his way over to the stage, walking up to stand next to the other top duelists that had gathered. It took a few moments for the news to click in Jaden's brain.

"And finally, from North Academy, Jesse Anderson."

Hi guys! Sorry for the delay, uni's been killing me but it's summer now!

I know this chapter is very canon compliant, but it's the only chapter that's gonna be like that, I promise. From this point, the story is gonna deviate from the canon again. I can't wait to write it now that I have some more time.

Thank you so much for reading. I love reading all of your lovely comments, they really put a smile on my face!