Who I Thought You Were - Yusei Fudo/OC [COMPLETE]

Part Two - Chapter 9 - Yusei

Crow and I have been waiting well over an hour for Jack to get here. He's usually back from his afternoon coffee outing by now. Unless he's shamelessly trying to pick up the waitress who's always bringing his coffee. When he eventually strides through the door, his eyes land on Crow and I staring at him.

"What did I do? A friend treated me to coffee this time," he argues.

"You didn't do anything, Jack," Crow says. "Yusei needs our help with something."

"Is that why Akiza and Nova are hanging out, sipping iced mochas together?" Jack asks.

"What? I thought Nova hated her," I snap.

"Apparently not. They're acting like a pair of best mates straight from a chick flick," Jack says.

I turn to Crow, who raises his hands defensively. "Don't look at me, dude. She didn't tell me anything about this." His eyes light up, and he turns to Jack. "Wait a minute. Did you say 'chick flick?'"

I smack Crow on the back of his head. "Don't get any ideas."

He smirks. "Too late, Yusei." His eyebrows quickly flash and I smack his head again.

"What are we going to do with you?" Jack grumbles.

"Look, I need you guys to help me! Can you stop bickering for ten minutes while I explain?" I half-shout.

"What exactly do you need our help for? Nova's totally okay with Akiza. It's you she has a problem with," Crow says. "Unless you were to mysteriously drop off the face of the earth, I can't see how you'd get her back."

"Yeah, well, I will," I retort. "And nothing is going to stop me."

"Dude, she hates you. She's made it clear to me multiple times," Crow argues. "Did she say something different to you back at the reactor site?"

Flashback

"Yusei," Nova says, a small bite to her voice. "Are you going to try to communicate with me using telepathy or something?"

"No," I reply, staring at the ground. "I'm just trying to think of what to say."

"Here's a thought. Maybe the truth?" She sits cross-legged on the ground, her head leaning back on her runner. "And I don't want an 'I'm sorry.' I've heard enough from you."

"I don't know, then." I run my fingers through my hair, wondering how I should phrase the truth.

"Well, I'm listening. Just say it when you're ready."

"Look, I know you don't want it, but I'm sorry, okay? What happened between me and Akiza?"

"Don't even, Yusei," she snaps. "You kissed her the same way you kissed me that night, and let's be honest, you went a little farther. But here's the thing: after you kissed me, you said you don't kiss your friends like that. So, either you lied, which is a definite possibility, or you don't care, which is also a definite possibility."

"She kissed me first!" I argue.

"And you kissed her back! Without hesitation. You were also practically choking on her tongue!"

I can't say anything. I'm afraid that if I do, my heart will break faster than it's breaking right now. And I only just started picking up the pieces from last time.

"Exactly. You wonder why we don't talk anymore? Because talking is now followed by fighting, just like this. And do you want to know why I'm not accepting your half-assed apologies anymore? Because I came to the life-altering realization that I am way too good for you! You wanna know something else? Karma's a bitch. And it's only a matter of time before she makes you pay your dues. So, I hope getting your side girl was worth it. Maybe when she comes to the realization that you're a bastard, she'll be nicer to you."

"She was never what I wanted! And I also wasn't planning on talking about her!"

"Then why bring her up in the first place?"

"Because," I start, "I don't know. I was trying to say that I get it!"

"What, having your trust shattered by a supposed friend?"

"And how it feels to not know! I've been alone with my thoughts a lot lately. I get how it makes you feel, not knowing what you did. It feels like a part of you is missing. But even though I know what happened while you were a Dark Signer, I still want you, Nova. Not Akiza. You. It's always been you."

"What can you get from me that you can't get from her? At least she fought for good! That's more than I can say for me."

"I get to know that I still have my best friend!"

"You have Crow and Jack! And I'd choose them over you, even though Jack's perfect match is a mirror and Crow makes me want to puke sometimes."

"They're not you," I whisper, crying. I quickly wipe away the tears with the sleeve of my hoodie.

"Right again, Yusei. Because I'm too good for you. Now, do you have anything else you want to say?" she shouts angrily. I can't speak, so I shake my head in reply. "Good. Now do me a favor and disappear." She mounts her duel runner and drives off, blowing dust in my face.

End Flashback

"She didn't say anything different, Crow," I say, my voice cracking. "She basically told me that I don't have a shot in hell."

"Then why do you keep trying?" Jack asks.

"Because I love her, okay?" I shout. "I fell in love with her when we were kids. When she was a Dark Signer, my heart shattered every time I thought about her on their side. When she left for that space program and didn't tell me, I was heartbroken. When she and I got in a fight the night she got back, it hurt so bad when she left, and it hurt even more when she yelled at me that I'd never be good enough for her earlier today! I should have moved on a long time ago, but I didn't. I don't want to live in a world where I don't have Nova with me."

I'm officially crying now. I'd never told anyone just how much I love Nova Reyes, and now the guys know. They don't know just how much it cut me to the core when I saw her kiss Kalin after she and I turbo dueled when she was a Dark Signer. They don't know how much it kills me to think that she wouldn't want to be around me. They don't know how much I want to give her the world. They don't know how empty I was when she was gone for a year, and then when she was gone for another month after we fought. They don't understand how much I want her in my life. They don't understand the electricity that shoots through my body when she kisses me. They don't know that I can see a future with her, that I want to spend the rest of my life with her.

"Dude," Crow breathes. "I knew you loved her, but not that much."

"I can't put it into words," I reply.

"You know what you need to do," Crow says. "Go. We'll take care of Nova."

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Are you?" Jack replies. "I know exactly what you're planning on doing. Are you absolutely certain you're ready?"

I nod. "I'm going to go take care of some things. I need you two to get her to the park at nine tonight. Got it?"

They nod in unison.

I hope she'll come back to me after tonight. Because there is no way in hell I am ever letting her leave me again.