365 Days of Starshipping (Part 2)

Tough Love

9/13/19

"Are you two able to hang out at the tournament at all over the next couple days?" Judai asked curiously the next day over breakfast, pointing a fork full of waffle at Jack before eating it, "I know you're going at some point 'cause of Carly, but I dunno when that point is."

"I'll be able to go the last two days, not the first though," Jack replied, not sounding like his usual grumpy morning self for once because he was far more focused on stuffing his face with food than the conversation. Apparently Judai's waffles were really good?

Well, on the flip side, Yusei had already finished his own plate in record time, having let out a very happy, satisfied sigh when he'd cleaned off the last bite. He'd just ask him later what was so good about it so he could try to replicate it on a later date.

"I've got jobs stacked up on all three days, but they all end early on in the afternoon so I should be able to come for the last part of each day," Crow shrugged, yawning and leaning even more forwards over the back of the chair he was straddling, "Man, I can't wait for my schedule to even out soon... started setting hours a couple weeks back and I'm almost through the last of the ones that were already scheduled at weird times."

"A truly impressive feat," Yusei noted, nodding along sagely with his arms crossed, "My work can't even do that and we don't even have clients most of the time. We just do research and then get told to do a yearly project by the government."

"Yeah, I don't envy those random ten-o'clock-at-night meetings you go to in the slightest," Crow stated, giving him a dry, but impressed look, "Sometimes I wonder how the hell you even sleep during those weeks, since usually one late night meeting leads to you being out of here most of the week."

"Clearly Judai's trained him," Jack teased, snorting a little when Yusei gave him a tiny glare in response, "What? It's true, we've seen the way you actually sleep at night now. We'd have to be blind, ignorant fools not to."

"Damn straight," Judai grinned, laughing when Yusei turned his stare to him instead while looking defeated, "Aw, don't look so sad about it. You can't be sad about sleeping in most days, and besides, hasn't your productivity actually gone up recently?"

It took a few seconds for Yusei to finally respond, but when he did it was with a small pout off to the side, "...Yes."

"And why is that?~"

"...Because of sleep."

Judai hummed in victory while Crow and Jack started laughing at the admittance, though even Yusei couldn't hold back a smile after a few more seconds of teasing. He knew the other didn't mind it as much as he pretended to, especially when he was the one who'd started pulling Judai back to bed recently instead of vice-versa so he could get more sleep. His work was doing its best to put him through the wringer and get as much use out of him as possible before they made him go to school, so he'd been totally wiped from working an extra few hours every day so he didn't fall behind.

"Anyway," Yusei mused later, taking a sip of his coffee before continuing, "I'll get you two the pass to get in today so you'll have it when the time comes. Jack, did Carly need a pass, or...?"

"Nah, she's got the reporter's version of it already, and she didn't exactly plan on coming up to visit. You know how it is with her line of work," Jack replied, and they all nodded in understanding.

"I'll just have to text her at some point and go say hi wherever she is," Judai decided, standing up with a stretch and a small yawn, "Anyway, I gotta go get ready - Phoenix decided to be a butt and force me to come in for a meeting with one of his clients for once."

"He told you it was because they asked to meet you," Yusei said, rolling his eyes when he sagged dramatically with an exaggerated sigh of pain, "You'll be fine."

Judai gripped his chest with a frown, barely managing to hold back the smile that wanted to break out across his face as he cried, "Is- Is this what they call tough love?"

He managed to pull out a laugh from everyone with that one, which was well worth the light, exasperated bop to the head Yusei gave him in return. It was easily paid back though when Yusei finally came back upstairs as well - all it took was a few well-timed and well-placed kisses to fluster him, which set Judai in a very good mood for the rest of the morning.