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As Sho arrived back home after getting some groceries from the market in town, he’s met with walls filled with laughter, his brother's voice calmer yet more full of life.
“Ryo?” He can’t remember the last time he’s heard him sound like that. “Is someone visiting?”
Ryo Marufuji was at his usual spot for the afternoon, a well-loved chair in front of the tall window that showed the world past their living room. Beside him, however, was a figure that was so familiar that Sho’s heart threatened to stop. The man in question turned around and shone a smile that blocked out the sun.
“Hiya! Hope you don’t mind me stopping by.”
It was Judai; and the moment Sho saw him, he dropped his bag from his shoulder and ran back out the door.
“Huh! I can’t say I saw that coming,” Judai rubs the back of his neck.
“I did,” Ryo closes his eyes, “It’s been years since either of us heard from you. After everything that’s happened, it’s a reaction to be expected. That and he’s matured into an interesting person.”
He turns back to the seated man. “Yeah? Does this tie back to the story you were telling me?”
"Yes, actually. Sho punched me that day," Ryo recalled with a smile. "He hit harder than I thought he would. It hurt like hell. I’m glad it did, too," his smile flickered, "It was nothing compared to the pain of seeing his face then."
Brown eyes watch Ryo as he thumbs his jaw.
"I deserved it. I'm a terrible brother."
"Well," Judai leaned back and folded his arms with a sigh. "You're able to make up for it now though, right?" he licks his fang. "You owe him that much."
"What about you? You've been a terrible friend," Ryo turns to where Sho had disappeared from. "You decided to stay here talking to me instead of doing the obvious,” his gaze flits over to where he stands, “Have you tired of wandering and punishing yourself yet?"
Yubel prickles from within him, defensive.
"We've all been terrible in our own ways," Ryo rises from the chair and goes towards the window, abandoning Judai's company for the view of the sky, his cane catching the light. "Listen to your own advice, for once,” his eyes are bright, unbending like metal, “Go find him, Red."
-
Times like these showed Judai how his powers set him apart. Fused with Yubel, he was able to track Sho’s energy throughout the surrounding forest. He found himself at a cliffside, a lone tree peering over the horizon. Hidden by an array of orange and brown leaves, a head of light-blue hair shone through.
“You didn’t need to come get me.”
“Your brother asked me to.”
Sho’s hold tightens on the tree and turns away from him. He doesn’t say anything else.
“Can I hang with you? It doesn’t look like you’re planning to come down any time soon.”
Without looking at Judai, Sho nods. The ease in which Judai climbs up to a sister branch makes Sho burn with nostalgia. He still looks exactly as he used to–choppy hair, starry eyes, and a gigawatt grin. Of course he does, it was the rest of the world who had to change without him, change because of him. Together, their eyes watch the landscape as the sun slowly sets, dyeing the sky in bright pinks and oranges that make the brunette’s skin shine like gold and silver. It’s always been hard to tear his gaze away from Judai. That too, hasn’t changed.
“I should start dinner,” Sho sighs, shifting to climb back down the tree.
Sho slips on the way down and like a leaf being shed during the winter, he falls. He was so sure he was going to hit the ground, for his outsides to reflect the painful swirl of conflict within him, but he didn't. It isn’t until he opens his eyes that he realizes that Judai–warm, heroic, and present Judai–had swept down and saved him.
Tall wings were still wrapped around the two when he asked: “Are you alright?” There was a worry–a sadness in his eyes that was impossible to miss, and the sight crumbled Sho’s final stronghold as he buried himself into Judai’s shirt, clinging and clawing at him as year old sobs broke out of him. The dragon-man said nothing as he held him, though he too, curled in a little tighter.
-
By the time Sho and Judai return, the groceries had long been put away and Ryo was now sitting in a recliner reading a book.
“Took you long enough,” he says without looking up.
Sho retreated to the kitchen without another word. When Judai stood there looking like a fool, Ryo tilted his chin in his brother’s direction.
Quiet footsteps led him to Sho’s back as he took ingredients out from the fridge and pantry. The blue-haired duelist didn’t acknowledge him and Judai didn’t really know what to say, so of course he said the only thing he could think of.
“I heard that your professional league really took off!”
“Yeah, it has,” a small smile forms on his face, though he doesn’t elaborate.
What Judai hoped would’ve gotten his foot in the door in terms of conversation instead fizzled to an even more awkward and tense silence. Judai squirms.
“Uh, Sho–”
“You’ve been traveling around the world, right?” His voice is taut as he dices some lettuce. “Tell me a story.”
Judai blinks. Internally, Yubel shrugs. Then, the brunette takes a breath, splaying his hands before him.
“Picture this. I’m in the Kamchatka Peninsula in the dead of winter with no money, nothing but my Osiris jacket on my back. Things are looking dire until I stumble into this old fisherman–”
-
Dinner was filled with stories as well, mostly Judai’s but both Sho and Ryo shared their own here and there. Once the meal concluded, Ryo bid them goodnight and went to get ready for bed. Sho cleaned up the plates, leaving the kitchen spotless for the night.
“I’ll show you to the guest room,” he whispers, and when he walks into the darkness, Judai follows him.
The guest room has two beds across from one another, and the nostalgia was enough to knock a man down to his knees. It was a breath away from a bunk bed, from easy going friendship and harmonizing laughter.
“Would you mind if I slept here too?”
“Like old times?” Judai’s voice is soft.
“Like old times,” Sho answers.
“I–Yeah, I think I’d like that.”
-
Sho was tired from the day, so they did not spend the night formulating new duel strategies or doing homework or anything of the sort. Because of his exhaustion, Judai let the shorter man go shower first, knowing full well the moment hot water touched his skin that he would relish in the feeling for a good thirty minutes. The two came and went, damp hair and fresh clothes on their bodies as crickets chirped outside.
The air between them was tense. It was obvious Sho wanted to talk, and that alone made Judai want to run. But Ryo’s words rang true in his heart, and so he willed his body to stay.
“You don’t have to be so stiff,” Sho says, getting under the covers.
“Says you. You’ve barely moved since you came back.”
He hears the smile in Sho’s voice, “Touche.”
“There are…things we should talk about, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“I… am not good at talking about things,” Judai curls into himself.
“I know. You’re more of a doer.”
“I can listen? If you wanna just…”
“Yeah, I’d appreciate that. Just give me a moment to put my thoughts together.”
The pair look into each other’s eyes. It’s never been so difficult to hold Sho’s attention like this, like his entire being is focused onto Judai. It makes him nervous, but this is his best friend. He can do this for him, right?
"I still dream of you, you know," Sho's voice finally breaks the silence, cutting his gaze off from that shade of autumn that burns him from the inside. "I witnessed you. Chronicled you. The world ended, and then so did you. You just...left."
"I–" Judai's face falls. His mouth opens for a moment before closing again. "I know."
Sho laughs dryly and raises his glasses to run his sleeve over his eyes. "'I know', he says. Is that all you can say?"
He frowns. "I can't say I'm sorry."
Sho leans back against the wall. At least you understand that . They stare at each other for a beat before Sho completely removes his glasses with a sigh.
“You really haven’t changed.”
“Was I supposed to?”
The shorter man’s laughter bursts out of him like a painful sob.
“I can’t answer that for you.”
"Then–punch me," Judai says instead, worrying his lip, "Maybe that will give me my answer. Plus, I deserve it."
Sho manages a somber smile. “No, you don’t. Well, you probably do. But I won’t punch you.”
“Why not? You know better than anyone the things I have done.”
"Because I loved you, Judai," Sho’s voice is quiet, a whisper over the darkness. He turns, his back facing Judai. "Maybe I still do.”
"Don't. I definitely don't deserve that. You don't deserve waiting around for someone like me, either."
"I know. it's just hard sometimes."
"Yeah. It is."
It’s quiet, and for a moment, Judai thinks Sho has fallen asleep.
"Have you ever loved anyone?" Sho asks.
Yubel stirs, and something akin to sadness bubbles beneath his skin.
"...I think so."
Sho hums at that. "Goodnight, Judai."
-
The next morning, Judai stayed for breakfast.
It was far livelier than the brunette expected it to be. A bouquet had been delivered to his doorstep, which left Sho embarrassed for a while as Ryo teased him. Music played from a radio, something Ryo had chosen, and Sho hummed along to a few of the songs as he brewed coffee and prepared a simple meal for everyone.
Judai was half way done shoveling cereal into his mouth when Sho’s phone rang. Sliding up on the screen, he was met with a warm smile.
“Did you get my flowers, don?”
“I did, they’re lovely. Ryo only complained twice as he put them in a vase.”
“That’s a good sign! Maybe the sun will be shining all week!” He laughs, and Sho laughs with him. From the corner of his eye, Ryo smiles. “It’s good to see you, Sho. I miss you. And Big Bro as well!”
“The house is far quieter with you gone,” Ryo taunts, his voice clear and free of malice. “But your presence is also missed, Kenzan.”
“He’s being nice to me? Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket!”
At that, the three laugh together. Judai watches them. Then, Sho looks at Judai, a silent question posed between them. Within their chest, Yubel purrs. He nods.
“Actually, someone very special is with us today,” Sho’s voice does not waver, but his eyes grow misty behind his glasses. He turns the phone towards the brunette and Kenzan gasps, clearly not believing his eyes.
“Hey,” Judai says, a bit uneasy, “It’s been a while, huh?”
“ANIKI!”
For a moment, Judai could’ve believed that Kenzan would’ve found a way to jump through a cell phone screen, but instead all that they get is a funny close up angle of his face as he smooshes himself against it. It made the load lighter to know that not everything had changed in his absence, especially as large tears began to roll down the man’s cheeks.
“And to think I could’ve seen you in person, too!” he hiccups, “I’ve been trying to get back home for days now!”
“Aw, don’t say that, Kenzan. You were so excited about the excavation site. There’s no way you could’ve known,” Sho eases him. “We’re waiting for you with open arms–and I’m sure Judai will stop by again, sometime,” he turns to the brunette, a hint of worry hidden behind his glasses, “Right?”
“I’ll–” Judai starts as Ryo catches his eye, “I’ll try.”
Kenzan lets out another wail. Despite his words, he knew Judai well enough to not expect much.
Judai squirmed in his seat. “When…did you expect to be back, Kenzan?”
Three pairs of eyes stared at him. “A few days, at the latest…” he says. The brunette felt his muscles ready to spring into action to get him out of there, but as he felt Yubel purr again, he gathered himself.
“I can stay…until then.”
The silence is pierced by Kenzan’s third wail, alongside some excited screaming from Sho himself. With the house now filled with loud, buzzing energy, Judai felt himself truly settle into his surroundings as he smiled.
-
When those days pass and Kenzan finally sees Judai, he pulls him into a hug tight enough to break his back. It was thanks to how winded said hug left him that he didn’t react when Kenzan quickly put him down to snatch Sho up for a chaste kiss.
”It’s really good to see you again, don…” he starts, immediately getting teary eyed.
”You too, buddy,” Judai gives a lopsided smile as he claps Kenzan’s shoulder.
”Let’s get inside,” Ryo ushers them, “Now there’s even more catching up we have to do.”
-
The hours pass like a blur as everyone settles into their routine: Kenzan helping Sho make lunch, Ryo discussing dueling strategies with both of them, and Judai listening in and giving his own quips here and there.
This is what home felt like, Judai realized. Who knew when he would feel such peace again? He would treasure this memory for years to come.
Six years was a long time and yet no time at all. And yet, just like everything that had come before it, the moment had to end.
Judai had lingered longer than he ever had, waiting as Sho packed him food for his journey, letting Ryo grab him a book for him to borrow, and listening to Kenzan as he placed a cool rock (“It’s a dino tooth, don!”) in his palm. Despite all of their collective effort, goodbye still came too easy to him.
“It was good to see you again,” Sho sniffled, pressing himself flush against him with a tight hug, “You know where to find us if you ever need a place to stay.”
Kenzan rushed him into another air-stealing hug after Sho was done. Ryo nodded at him from the doorway.
“Yeah. Thanks, guys,” Judai smiles earnestly, “See ya.”
And with a wave of his hand, he’s gone.