A/N: Just a small Oneshot I gоt to do again. I just felt like writing something sweet and after spending some time with my friends today this popped up. No JadenxJesse this time, just a cute friendly encounter. Oh, and I've been wondering weather I should write another one like this, but from Jesse's point of view. What doy uo think, should I?
Solitude
Lying on his bed with his hands under his head, alone in the entire room, had always been one of Jaden's favorite things. Not as much as dueling and hanging out with his friends, but still. There were times when he really wanted to just be alone for a little while.
This was one of those times.
The place was refreshingly calm and pleasant. After all, even he needed some time to himself. It wasn't that he was tired of everybody, not at all. He just wanted to be there by himself and think of just about everything he could think of... There was nothing wrong with that, right?
However those times always ended quickly...
"What are you doing here, Jay?" The door was shut after the person went in.
See what I mean?
Jaden cracked one eye open and looked lazily towards the person. Jesse's sweet smile greeted him from across the room. And despite of the normal appearance of the boy, he couldn't help but think there was something different from other times. Something in his aura just seamed different and... somehow sad.
"Nothing much, just lazying around," came the honest reply.
With that he slipped the eye closed again and awaited to be interrogated a little more.
Instead of that, though, he heard some footsteps and before he could help it a big weight was thrown on his abdomen.
"Uh… What the!?" He blinked towards the other boy who had situated himself on the chocolate haired boy's stomach, lying on his back across the width of the bed. "What are you doing?"
"Just lazying around," the bluenette threw his words right back at him with a big grin. "But I've been wondering – why aren't you with the others? If I heard right, they were going fishing, that can't be too tiring"
"I don't like fishing. Besides, I just feel like being alone for a while."
"Ah, sorry to bug you, then," Jesse pushed himself up by his elbows and shot him an apologetic look. "I'll be-"
"No, don't!" Jaden cut him and grinned at him. "Since you're already here, I don't mid."
True, solitude might have its good sides, but being with someone was just that much better. He could feel as the other moved a little so that he could get himself in a comfortable position.
He had never had anything against other people – he was a social person. He could make friends pretty easily even without really trying – his time at Duel Academy was yet another prove of that.
"So," Jaden felt curious about something. "Why would you give up the comforts of Obelisk Blue to get to the dump of Slifer Red? I bet it's much more comfortable to be lazying around in there."
"I just didn't really feel like being alone," Jesse's answer was a simple one, yet something in the way he said it seamed... off. "Success is nothing when you don't have someone to share it with. Sure, the bed might be king sized and more comfortable, but it's for one person only… You know, you're quite lucky, pall," his last words made Jaden look down towards him again. "You have a lot of friends here. How do you do it?"
"I don't know," the chocolate haired boy shrugged. "I guess I just can't stay around by myself for too long."
Wait, where had that one come from? Didn't Jesse have many friends, too? Why was he saying such things?
"How about you, Jess? How were things back North? You weren't alone, were you?"
The other tensed a little and Jaden couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows. Had he asked a wrong question?
"I was never alone!" Despite of the obvious confidence in his words, something in his voice didn't sound right. "I've always had the Crystal Beasts by my side."
It was something you wouldn't usually catch in the bluenette's voice and it was obvious he was trying to hide it. A strange kind of bitterness hardly audible from behind the mask of cheerfulness. That, and his last words were things Jaden had never expected to hear from his friend.
He pushed his upper body a little up, resting on his elbows as his eyes focused on the other's face.
Jesse looked calm and rested, lying there with closed eyes and a slight smile on his face, his hands stretched on both sides of his body and feet bent in the knees at the edge of the bed.
Had he really been alone back then? Because he didn't look like a person who'd spent a lot of time on his own – he adapted so easily with the people here… He seamed friendly and social… Like Jaden himself. It just didn't seam right that a kind boy like him hadn't had any friends.
Were the Crystal Beasts all he had had? Sure, the Spirits were really nice and he could always have a chat with them, but.. Having real friends was different.
For example, you could never just lie like this together with a Spirit. Sure, you could, but it wasn't the same. You wouldn't be able to sense the closeness, to feel the other's warmth next to you. You could never share your food with them, or grab their extended hand when you needed to get up.
There were simple things like those that weren't so important, but in the same time they were. They were things that kept the person alive.
Jaden couldn't see himself alone. Sure, he'd always have good relationships with the Spirits of his own cards and he'd be able to talk and share with them, yet it would never be the same as having people close to you.
People like Jesse.
"I'll always be by your side, too."
Jesse's eyes blinked open, and the look in his eyes easily betrayed his confusion. The brunette grinned towards him and brought one hand up with his fingers balled in a fist.
It took the other some time to react, but he lightened up a lot and with a nod brought one hand up as well and lightly hit his own fist in his Jaden's.
And in a second that strange air around him was lifted, giving way to gratitude and happiness. Just one look in those emerald eyes was enough to make Jaden understand.
After all, that's what friends were all about.