After about...literally...a month...I can update. I'm going to borrow my mum's laptop to update...and I lost literally all my files. Fantastic.
Anyway...
Updates will be a lot slower but at least I can try and get back into the swing of updating? :P
So this epilogue will be a bit random (as if you couldn't tell by the title). It's a random idea in which Jaden and Yusei talk about the gallery, at least, what they remember.
--- Kura-chan ---
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Jaden took a deep breath, twiddling his fingers behind his back and humming a tune subconsciously. It was a very sunny day, absolutely perfect for an outing...or a date.
His eyes scanned the area around him. It was a small coffee place, and to be honest, Jaden didn't particularly like coffee, but according to Yusei this place also sold a wide variety of cakes.
If Jaden had a watch, he'd be constantly looking at it. He was waiting outside of the doors, anxiously watching the bustling crowd, looking for a tuft of crab-styled hair, or a yellow streak, or even a motorcycle.
He saw none of them.
Jaden took another deep breath. And another. And another. And another. Until he sighed out all the breaths he had taken and repeated the cycle; he needed something to help him calm down.
Yusei and Jaden had been on a few dates, and usually Jaden was the late one - he usually slept in and forgot all about it. Yusei was always understanding, but really, this was just Jaden. Yusei had come to terms with that.
Suddenly, a rev of a familiar motorcycle caught Jaden's attention. But he felt awkward looking in that direction, it would be as if he was expecting it, and he didn't want to see desperate. Even so, he forced himself to look.
There he was.
A smile placed itself on Jaden's lips, which soon turned into a childish grin. He waved at the raven-haired male who smiled back at him.
"Yusei!" Jaden chimed, running over to the familiar smell of bike oils. "You're late."
"I know," Yusei sighed, holding his helmet under his arm, "late repairs."
"You smell like it! Why'd you bring your bike anyway?"
"It's a motorcycle," Yusei corrected, "and we're going somewhere else. It was easier to get you here."
"Really?" Jaden's eyes glimmered. He hadn't been on Yusei's motorcycle since after they came out of the gallery, which must have been a year ago now.
"Yep."
Yusei handed the boy a spare helmet that he kept in the back of his motorcycle. Jaden put it on and climbed behind Yusei onto the bike, wrapping his arms around the older male's waist and holding on tightly. The smell of oil was quite strong now.
"So where are we going?" Jaden asked as Yusei got his helmet on and revved up the vehicle.
"You'll see..." Jaden knew that Yusei was smirking as he began to ride across the street.
The breeze was fast and hard-hitting across Jaden's face. Despite Yusei mostly blocking what was to fly directly into him, some of it still managed. The brunette didn't mind though - this was something exciting, and he had completely forgotten about the promised cakes from when this date was arranged.
It was a long time before Jaden felt they had gotten anywhere. Yusei eventually stopped, parking his motorcycle near some cars in a car park.
They were at the beach.
Jaden took off the helmet, and instantly the smell of the sea overpowered the oil he had been smelling for the past ten minutes. He looked in the direction of the ocean, and was instantly raring to go.
"We're at the beach...!" Jaden grinned.
"Yep. But this isn't our destination."
Jaden suddenly frowned, "It's not?"
"No...we're going somewhere only I know of. Somewhere secretive."
Jaden nodded, slowly getting off of the vehicle and handing the helmet back to Yusei. He watched Yusei put everything away before the male gripped his hand. Jaden blushed lightly but smiled all the same.
He started to not mind the fact that they weren't going to the beach. Jaden didn't even know there was a beach around his area anyway.
Yusei was leading the way to somewhere quiet, somewhere that Jaden had never even seen. The place was a small forest, out into the west of the beach. The foliage surrounded the boys, and a calm silence enveloped the atmosphere.
Jaden gripped Yusei's hand loosely, wanting at least some form of physical comfort. He was distracted by the creaks and noises of the miniature forest, laughing at a squirrell that suddenly appeared.
"Jaden..." Yusei mumbled, suddenly gripping the brunette's hand tightly.
"Hm?" Jaden looked over at him, giving a small unintentional smile.
"Look..." Yusei slowly pointed to a lone tree.
It was surrounded by small tulips and daffodils, each finely situated with a warm glow from the sun. Jaden's eyes widened at the scenery; it was magnificently beautiful.
"Come on."
Jaden was pulled along by Yusei, who sat directly under the tree, at a shady area. Jaden slowly sat down beside him, and realised that Yusei picked this place for a reason.
When he looked forward, all he could see was the sunny beach below, the small forest of trees, and the vibrant town.
"Yusei...it's so beautiful up here..."
Jaden shuffled closer to the male, gripping his hand tightly and leaning his head on the other's shoulder. He got a better view of the scenery that way.
"Hey, Jaden...how long has it been?"
"Hm...? How long has what been?"
"How long has it been since...you know, we escaped?"
Jaden thought for a moment before looking at Yusei, "...It would be a year now...it's been so long..."
"I haven't been to that gallery ever since..." Yusei mumbled, "have you?"
"No...No I haven't. I don't plan on going again anyway. My friends wanted to go again soon, apparently there's some new artwork there. I don't know what to tell them."
Yusei looked at Jaden with a confused expression, "You haven't told them about what happened?"
"No...I don't think they'd believe me."
"But they know about me...how did you tell them we met?"
"At the gallery." Jaden answered bluntly, "We just...got talking about the artwork and then...stuff lead to stuff..." Jaden's face suddenly turned red, remembering the kisses that were shared that day.
Yusei chuckled, taking off his gloves (which made Jaden slightly happier) and running a hand through Jaden's hair. He knew exactly what Jaden was thinking of.
"Sounds believable enough..." Yusei finally mumbled, stroking Jaden's face now.
Jaden's face was slowly heating up. It was completely apparent that he was embarrassed, in fact, it was hard not to tell he was embarrassed.
"I can't believe Mary vanished like that, though..." Jaden finally spoke after a moment's silence. "I still think she could have become a real person...made it out with us..."
"She was never real to begin with, Jaden," Yusei sighed, "she could never have came with us."
"I know, but...I just...I wish she could have had a life. You know? All the paintings in that gallery seemed really distressed...now that you think about it...what if they just wanted a friend?"
"Jaden..." Yusei moved his hand away and held the boy close instead, "they were set free when we left...they're all normal inanimate objects now...you need to realise that..."
"Life's hard...they never got to experience that..."
"Life?" Yusei looked at Jaden, "You mean a box of chocolates."
"Excuse me?" Jaden looked at Yusei with a confused expression.
"Life is like a box of chocolates...you pick the few chocolates you like and leave the ones you won't eat. The ones you eat are the ones that made a special part inside of you, the ones you don't eat but keep for a special occassion are those people that you hold dear. The ones inside of the box..." Yusei got closer to Jaden and smiled, "are the ones that you touched, but will find a way on their own."
Yusei gave Jaden a quick peck on the lips. "Mary is one of the chocolates inside of the box."
"Yusei..." Jaden blushed deeply.
"Yes?"
"Can I keep just...one chocolate...forever, and never let it go?"
Yusei smiled, "Yes, of course you can. It'll grow old and inedible though."
Jaden giggled, "I'll still love it."
The two kissed once more, both of them blushing lightly. Yusei knew what Jaden meant.
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BOOM! Done. Ah~ I feel accomplished.
I hope you enjoyed this weird, and very complicated version of Ib in this story...as well as this epilogue about chocolate.
Okay now I want chocolate.
--- Kura-chan ---