A/N: And now, to join the other 93897584759624292472520 million rivalshipping fics….here's another. Oh well. It's not the thing I'm proudest of, but I like it. I would REALLY appreciate some con crit on this. I want to improve. Please don't rip me to shreds though. I can take criticism, but I would like for you to tell me what's wrong and perhaps how I can fix it. Then I will be happy when I get around to revising it…again.

Disclaimer: I do not own GX.

The first thing that Manjoume woke up to was a flyer in his face. Confused and a bit peeved, he sat up and glared at the beholder, his eyes crossing a bit from exhaustion. Fubuki grinned widely from behind the brightly colored paper as he waved it triumphantly in the air.

"You can't miss this one," He said breathlessly, "The biggest party of the year, and you're invited!"

Manjoume grimaced in disgust at the idea. Not to mention he was so sleep deprived he could hardly focus on the neon yellow paper. "You know that a party is the last thing I want to do on my Saturday night." He growled, swatting the paper out of his face and sitting up, "I have better things to do. I've had enough of parties anyway…my parents won't stop hosting them and I'm sick of putting on airs."

Fubuki jutted out his lower lip in a small pout, squinting his eyes and giving Manjoume the dreaded puppy look. "Please, Manjoume-san!"

"San da!" Manjoume hissed angrily, glaring at the brunette. "SAN DA!!" The bright light from the windows was really beginning to give him a headache.

"Sorry, SAN DA," Fubuki rolled his eyes, "You might want to think about coming though. After all, certain people will be there." He turned his back to the raven haired teen, crossing his arms and smirking smugly.

Manjoume perked up, yet still looked skeptical of the older boy. He arched an eyebrow as he queried, "Certain people?"

"Yes, certain people that you would just LOVE to hang out with." Fubuki answered, smirking wider and avoiding Manjoume's hungry gaze.

"What…certain people?" Manjoume dared to ask, his breaths coming faster. He tilted his head to one side and looked expectant.

Fubuki turned to look at the other boy, his chocolate eyes gleaming with mischief. "One word," He leaned over to whisper in the boy's ear and said, "Asuka."

"Asuka…" Manjoume breathed the name as though he were speaking of a sacred angel. "Well…perhaps I could spare an hour or two." Unable to help himself, he grinned at the older boy. Although Fubuki had steered him in the wrong direction many a time with his attempts to play matchmaker--particularly with the latest incident which Manjoume greatly resented and refused to think about--he still could not give up the opportunity that Fubuki offered him.

Fubuki smiled and patted him on the back. "That's the spirit. I'll see you tonight then. Don't be late; Asuka likes her men to be, er, on time if you catch my drift."

Manjoume nodded wildly, his eyes wide. "You got it!"

The rest of the day was spent in frantic anticipation. Manjoume could hardly contain his excitement or his expectations. Not to mention he could hardly contain his hormones. Soon, he was far away in dreamland, imagining what his night with Asuka would be like. Perhaps she would snuggle up to him. Perhaps she would say she liked him too. And…perhaps she'd even kiss him! He dared not to think any farther than this…well, that wasn't exactly true. It wasn't like he could very well help himself.

He was so bent on impressing her that he even took the time to thoroughly shower and wash his clothes; he even combed his hair a little. Then, he brushed his teeth and nodded at his reflection in the mirror. Yes, it was satisfactory. More so even. So, with renewed confidence in himself, he locked his room up and headed down to the beach house, where Fubuki, the party, and most certainly Asuka waited.

The party wasn't exactly like the ones that Manjoume remembered. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, giving an unfavorable grimace at the hordes of people who were drinking alcohol and behaving crudely. What atrocity! One of his aristocratic status should not commingle with such barbaric people! Nevertheless, he decided that he would have to put up with it in order to protect his beloved Asuka. After all, who knew what these partygoers would do to her. He imagined himself rescuing her from the clutches of a would-be rapist.

Just as he was at the best part of his fantasy, a far too familiar voice called out to him, causing him to cringe.

"Hey, Manjoume-san! I didn't know you'd be coming."

Manjoume hunched his shoulders and clenched his teeth. Slowly, he turned, opening his eyes. "Juudai," He hissed.

The brunette smiled widely at him. "So, what brings you here?"

"Ah…Fubuki; what else?"

"Well, all right," Juudai looked puzzled, "But you don't seem like the kind of person to come to one of these events."

"I have my reasons. By the way, neither do you seem like that type of person." He raised an eyebrow, wary of the younger boy's motives. He thought to himself that Juudai had better not be after the same prize he was.

"Oh, nah," Juudai told him, scratching his nose, "Fubuki promised me new cards if I came."

Manjoume stared at him. "New cards? Is that all? Why would shishou waste his time with such frivolity?! It just makes no sense how he's bribing us all to come. I mean, everyone would have come anyway. Do you think he just wants to have the biggest party that the Duel Academia has ever seen?"

Juudai shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just here for the cards and the food."

"What about the girls?" Manjoume asked, glowering a bit.

"Girls?" Juudai's expression reflected that of one with the purest of innocence. "I don't like girls. I have no interest in them."

Manjoume arched an eyebrow again. "Not at all? Juudai, are you…never mind." Snorting in annoyance, he turned his back to the other boy and walked out into the adjoining room to scope out the girls.

As he scanned the dance floor, he saw very few that he deemed worthy in any sort of way. To tell the truth, Asuka was the only girl at Duel Academia that was classy enough for his liking. The others would just slobber all over him and give in to his wishes too easily; Asuka was the only one who would resist and not care a fig for his money. And for this reason, he had been interested enough, but the more that he'd found out about her, the more he'd liked her. Now, if only the other girls would follow her example. Still, she was the only girl for him.

He saw Momoe and Junko dancing, as well as several girls he knew from Duel Alchemy class. But no one he deemed as worthy. As in, Asuka was not on the dance floor. He began to wonder if Fubuki had lied just to lure him to the party.

Just as he'd concluded so, he spotted her, sipping a soda suavely in a darkened corner. Smirking widely and straightening his collar, he muttered to himself, "Ichi, Ju, Hyaku, Sen, Manjoume-San da!" Having assured himself, he waltzed over to Asuka and leaned against the wall. "Hey, Tenjoin-kun."

Her amber eyes slid over in his direction, then slitted halfway shut. "Oh, hi, Manjoume-kun."

"You can call me Jun," He told her, now smiling like a lovesick puppy. He'd lost his smooth, suave expression.

She sighed heavily and rested her cheek on her palm. "Manjoume-kun…give up already."

His face fell. "Hey, how'd you know—"

She glowered a bit, "Oh, I know when you're on the prowl. I've had boys after me all my life; do you honestly think I can't spot it by now?"

Manjoume swallowed hard. "Sorry…" he mumbled, defeated, "But can we at least talk? I mean, can you at least save me a dance?"

Asuka set her glass down and shook her head. "Manjoume, I don't feel well. I really don't." She placed her hand on her forehead and sighed, "I'm not in the mood for this cat and dog chase. Please don't. Besides, don't you see how they are dancing? What a disgrace! Do you seriously expect me to be your little sex kitten?"

Manjoume looked taken aback. "Hey, whoever said—"

"It's written all over your face," She grumbled, "You're expecting me to get you laid. No way."

"No, that wasn't what I was thinking," He snapped, "And why can't you be nicer to me? I was just asking. But if you really don't feel well, as I can tell since you're not being yourself, I'll just leave you alone. You need some time to calm down. What, is your drink spiked or something?

Her face turned scarlet. She reached out and gave him a sharp smack across the face. "Don't talk to me like that!" She hissed, enraged, "Don't take me as someone who would do such a thing! I'm not that crude." Then, seeing the shocked expression on his face, her expression softened. She lifted a hand and touched the red mark on his cheek as she murmured, "I'm sorry, Manjoume-kun. Please forgive me. I don't know what's gotten into me…I'm just a little edgy about being here, with all these out of control teenagers. I want to go back to my room, but Fubuki won't let me."

He seemed confused at her sudden change of moods. She crossed her arms and avoided his gaze. "How can he force you?"

She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "It's a long story…I made a mistake and he can use it against me."

Manjoume sat down on the arm of a nearby chair. "Want to tell me about it?"

She crossed her arms and looked ashamed. "All right. But don't tell anyone."

"I won't. Promise."

She sighed heavily. "Well, you see…I got really upset at Misawa…he wasn't exactly nice to me when he tried to help me with my homework. He kept acting like I was a simpleton. So I finally told him off and well…I smacked him really hard and he fell against the railing on the third floor of the school. Had Fubuki not been there to catch is arm, I don't know what would've happened. He might've fallen over. And now…I feel so bad. I told him I was really sorry, and I'm trying to stop doing that. But when I feel threatened or angry, I just can't help it." She took a deep breath as she finished.

Manjoume was silent for a moment, then told her, "It's all right. I understand. I have the same problem. Temper issues kind of run in my family…and therapy doesn't really help."

She nodded and opened her mouth, ready to say something more. Before she could utter another word, Fubuki jumped up on a table to address the entire crowd. He whistled to get their attention. Soon, the music cut off and all eyes fell on him.

"Everyone, we're going to set up small groups to play spin the bottle. As you all know, it's ALL the rage in America. So I thought, why not start the same trend here? Go ahead and group together with your friends and wait for me to pass out the bottles."

Manjoume glanced over at Asuka, feeling a bit nervous. She glowered deeply and picked up her drink as she sashayed towards the opposite corner of the room, where Juudai and Ryo were already. As she did so, she muttered a threat to Manjoume. "Don't even think about it…"

Manjoume only followed her wordlessly; however, he was mildly injured by her comment. Nevertheless, he was determined. He would get her to kiss him, even if it was the last thing he did.

"All right, it's my turn," Fubuki said, rubbing his hands together and licking his lips seductively. He spun the bottle and watched it eagerly, waiting for it to fall on a victim. It pointed to Hayato. Fubuki grimaced. "Well, the rules are the rules. No matter who it lands on…"

Everyone laughed as Fubuki begrudgingly went into the closet with Hayato. They had been playing the game for awhile then, yet they hadn't come across a more awkward situation. No one knew, though, that things were about to get ten times more awkward.

Once Fubuki and Hayato had returned, both looking less than happy, the bottle was passed to Asuka. She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to protest, but one look from Fubuki quieted her. Annoyed, she reluctantly spun it, and squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, she gasped.

"No, NO. Not in a million years…"

Manjoume blinked as he stared back at her. A slow smile spread across his face.

"You know the rules," Fubuki sneered, jabbing a finger at her, "Now go to the closet! Both of you!"

Manjoume tried not to powerwalk towards the closet. Asuka followed slowly, her head hanging in shame. As the door shut, Fubuki told them to 'make it last.' Darkness filled the cramped space.

"So…" Manjoume began, sounding a bit nervous, "I guess…"

"NO." She snapped, "I don't care what that dickhead says…I'm NOT kissing you. So just be really quiet, and he'll think we have. Got it?"

"Hey, that's not—"

"On threat of death," She growled, pinching him, "Stay away. I'm warning you. I won't be your sex kitten, I already told you so."

"I never said—"

"But you thought about it. I just know it. Sit down, shut up, and don't touch me."

Silence reigned.

A few minutes later, the door cracked open, and Fubuki's glistening eyes could be seen from the other side. "Are you done yet? Or do you need more time?"

Manjoume glowered darkly at him from the corner, his knees pulled up to his chest as he did his best not to look as mournful as he felt. "Just let us out already. I don't want to spend a second more wasting my time here. Please, onii-san. You've done enough."

Fubuki raised an eyebrow. "And thus the great Manjoume-san da gives up. What's your problem? Don't you want to have some fun?"

"Your mom must be pretty crazy," He growled, standing up, "Because Asuka is far too celibate. To the point of violence even! I wouldn't have done anything…If only she'd be more respectful of me."

Fubuki rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "All right then. I'll send an easier one in. How about Junko? She's pretty…"

"I don't WANT Junko!" Manjoume snapped, distressed by the very thought of 'cheating' on Asuka, "You've got it all wrong. I don't want to get laid right now. Especially not by, well…you know the only one I would allow to sleep with me. Please. Leave me alone. I don't feel well now." His face drooped into the depressed expression he'd been trying so hard to hold in.

"Hey, hey, hey," Fubuki blocked his path, looking desperate, "You can't leave…we still have a lot more fun to accomplish!"

"No thank you," Manjoume spat, in a desperate attempt to regain his dignity and recover from his moment of weakness, "I don't like your kind of fun. I'm an aristocrat for Pete's sake…I don't care about drinking or any of that crap. At least make it more, er, tasteful shall we say. Beer is not exactly my idea of a good time."

"Why not?" Fubuki whined, "How about sex?"

"I've never done it, I don't know. All I know is that I want to go back to my room and go to sleep because you've exhausted me."

"You're no fun," Fubuki pouted, then turning to Asuka, "How dare you! You've ruined everything."

She glared at him. "Are you still trying to hook us up? Or are you just dying for some cheap porn?"

Fubuki shook his head, yet did not reply. Asuka arched an eyebrow as her brother walked back towards the circle.

"I'll see you later," Manjoume growled, turning his back, "I'm going home."

She hesitated, then muttered, "All right. Bye…"

As he began to walk away, he stopped and cast her a dirty look over his shoulder. She shrank back a ways, looking repentant. He ignored her sorrowful glance and headed out onto the veranda and leaned over the railing, staring out at the pounding waves. Now he felt too drained to walk any farther. He felt as though all his energy had been exhausted and his heart had been broken…again.

Just as he considered casting himself off the porch into the crashing breakers below, he heard footsteps on the flagstone. He froze, hunching his shoulders tensely. "Who's there?" He whispered hoarsely, hardly daring to turn to look. Dear God, it might be Fubuki! Who knew what sort of scheme he had planned this time. All Manjoume knew was that he was greatly tired of them.

"Hey," Juudai greeted, coming to stand beside him, "How's it going?"

"I'm not in the mood to discuss your petty card strategies," Manjoume muttered, averting his gaze.

"Nah, I actually came out here because well…I saw what happened in there. Besides, it's getting too crowded inside."

Manjoume sighed heavily. "Nothing you can say will make me feel any better. Just give up, dammit."

Juudai looked puzzled. "I'm not trying to upset you any more. I just wanted to see if you would talk about it. I only want to help."

"The only help you could bring," Manjoume mused morbidly, "is death. Now away with you."

Juudai laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't say that. Do you want to know why Asuka acts the way she does?"

"Not really." Manjoume muttered, shrugging Juudai's hand off his shoulder.

Juudai answered him anyway. "It's because she likes someone else…and she's been hurt before."

"By who? Her brother?" Manjoume snorted sarcastically, "How shameful to be ravished by one's own brother! Incest…"

Juudai looked taken aback. "That's a terrible thing to say…"

"I don't care. This night has been a disaster, just as the other plans that Fubuki has cooked up for me. Maybe I shouldn't trust him anymore…I don't know."

"Could you cool it?" Juudai asked, "I really don't think you should be saying these things so loudly…He has too many fangirls here."

Manjoume hoisted himself up on the railing and perched himself dangerously atop, "I don't care. It wasn't THAT bad and I wasn't serious. He is still my onii-san, even if I am mad at him right now. Now, if you will excuse me…"

"Hold it, are you crazy?" Juudai asked, grasping his shoulder, "Get back over here; you'll fall!"

"That's my point," Manjoume muttered, "I intend to die, all right?"

"You're so stupid," Juudai told him, "If you do that…"

"Whatever," Manjoume answered, rolling his eyes, "Just go away. I always hated you anyway."

"Don't say that…" Juudai muttered, looking hurt, "Please…how would you feel if Asuka said that to you?"

"What's it to you?" Manjoume snapped, "Asuka basically did say that to me. She hates me. And she just loves you. You know that. You took everything from me…my title as the best, my position, and my girl. So what more do you want to do to me? You can't do anything more. I'm in control of this situation. So goodbye and have fun with Asuka."

"I don't want Asuka!" Juudai protested, "I don't like her like that! I mean, she's all right, but I already told you that I'm not interested in girls…"

Manjoume whirled around, his eyes wide. "Holy shit, Juudai…are you saying you're…."

Juudai seemed like he had not heard a word that Manjoume had said. He just pulled the shocked teen over the railing and set him on the ground. "I only care about my dreams, all right? Girls play no part in them. But friends do…"

"That's the gayest thing I've ever heard," Manjoume sneered, "Please don't tell me you seriously believe that crap."

Juudai blinked naively, "But it's true…friends are more important than—"

"Save it," Manjoume interrupted, "You're making me sick. Do you want me to puke all over you?"

Juudai seemed hurt. "Manjoume," He knelt by the other boy and cupped his pale face in his hands, his brown eyes full of sympathy. "Please don't be that way." He wiped a stray tear from the ebony haired boy's face. "Don't cry."

"I'm not crying," Manjoume said bitterly, "I'm fine."

"You're crying," Juudai said, pointing out the obvious, "Let me help you."

Manjoume shook his head as the tears fell faster. He pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face in them. Looking uncertain of what to do, Juudai awkwardly put his arms around Manjoume. Instead of resisting, Manjoume leaned against Juudai's chest, clutching his legs tighter against him. Juudai placed his chin on top of Manjoume's head.

"Manjoume?"

"Yeah?" Manjoume answered, his teeth chattering.

"Remember how I said I don't want Asuka?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want Asuka because I want you." Juudai nervously pushed Manjoume's chin up with his finger and kissed him on the lips.

Manjoume stared at Juudai in silent shock even after he'd pulled away. Juudai only cuddled Manjoume closer and tried to comfort him.

"I've always loved you…" Juudai confessed, "I know it sounds crazy but…it's true. I love you. Why else do you think I was always there for you? Did you even notice?"

Manjoume nodded slowly as the information began to set in. He continued to stare at the brunette, uncertain of himself. His charcoal eyes fell to the stone; he was unable to look Juudai in the eyes.

"Manjoume…I know you hate me but…at least you know now that someone loves you deeply. I would never hurt you or abandon you. And it's all right if you don't care for me…"

Turning his head away from Juudai, Manjoume concealed the tears that were flowing again. "It's too soon…" He muttered, "I can't love you. I love Asuka."

"It's Ok," Juudai sighed, "I understand."

Silence hung heavy in the air. Juudai curled up closer to Manjoume, until they were spooning. Manjoume chose to ignore it, too broken to care. As Juudai held him tenderly and murmured soft words of comfort in his ear, a shadow blocked the light coming from the French doors. Slowly, Manjoume glanced up to see Asuka standing there stiffly, looking to be more shocked and livid than he'd ever seen her look before. Sheepishly, he tried to wriggle out of Juudai's iron grasp. However, Juudai would not allow it.

Wordlessly, Asuka turned and walked away, leaving the two outside. As Manjoume's breathing returned to normal, Juudai leaned over and grazed his lips against his ear, his eyes filled with innocent, pure love. Manjoume caught his breath. He could not explain the feeling in his heart; some part of him just pitied Juudai, some part of him absolutely adored him. His heart went out to him; he did enjoy the attention after all. Juudai, the one who had no weakness, now had one: him. And if that was the case, then perhaps Juudai could come to his use. Not to mention, Asuka loved Juudai, and this would be a way of revenge. How ironic for him to have the boy Asuka loved! Sure, the other teen had taken all that Manjoume had held near and dear, but now, he was in control. He could determine Juudai's future.

As these thoughts flew through his mind, he made an impulsive decision. Since there were so many benefits and he so enjoyed it, he leaned over and kissed Juudai smack on the lips. The brunette's eyes widened, but he soon forgot his shock and just kissed the other boy back.

Juudai's hands went around to Manjoume's back, then up to entangle themselves in his thick black hair. He moaned softly as Manjoume ever so slyly ran his tongue over his lips. Manjoume could not help but feel remorse over this. What a tease he was being! Why would someone of his status go so low as to grovel and perform a sort of service to a commoner? It was disgraceful. Quickly, he reprimanded himself and pulled away.

"What's wrong?" Juudai asked, blinking and holding Manjoume close to his rapidly beating heart.

"I can't…" Manjoume muttered, "It's just gross. Haven't you even thought about what you're doing? You're gay, for Pete's sake…"

Juudai looked hurt. "I'm not gay…I don't like guys, I don't like girls. I like you."

Manjoume sighed heavily and stood up. "I have to go back to my room. We'll talk about this later, Ok?"

Juudai stared up at Manjoume with the newly imprinted pain that only a first time broken heart can deliver. A twinge of guilt flickered in Manjoume's heart. Maybe he should try to be gentler.

"Juudai," He sighed, jamming his hands in his pockets, "I promise I'll see you tomorrow, Ok? Get some rest. I'll see you later."

With that, he walked away, leaving the brunette to sit alone and cold against the railing. Truth be told, he did not want to see Juudai again. After all, that would mean he'd have to admit his growing fondness towards the other boy.

The following morning, Manjoume went to breakfast despite his reluctance to do so. Indeed, Juudai was sitting there waiting for him. Feeling a bit ashamed, the ebony haired teen seated himself tentatively across from the brunette and failed to speak a word of greeting. This, in turn, rather hurt the already injured boy across from him. Juudai slowly stood up and walked around to Manjoume's seat. As Manjoume hunched his shoulders to signal that he should be left alone, Juudai sat next to him and laid his head on his shoulder, his large brown eyes gazing up with adoration. Manjoume had seen that same look many times; he wondered why he'd never noticed it as being love before.

Juudai clutched Manjoume's black trench coat and snuggled his cheek closer. He looked up with imploring eyes as he slowly leaned over and touched his lips to the older boy's neck. Immediately, Manjoume bristled. It was becoming ever so clear that he did not like to be touched or coddled in public. For this reason, Juudai backed away.

"You said we'd talk," He reminded Manjoume sheepishly, still appearing innocent.

"What do you want to talk about?" Manjoume asked in a semi-bitter tone.

"Well…" Juudai paused, then took a deep breath as he blushed a bit, "I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to give us a try? I've waited so long…I know you haven't gotten over Asuka, but I can help you recover from your heartbreak."

Manjoume sighed heavily. Part of him wanted to say yes, while another part of him cautioned that he should say no. After all, if he wasn't ready and if he didn't mean it, then what good would that do anyone? Still, perhaps he should listen to Juudai.

He slung his arm across the brunette's shoulder and said, "All right, Juudai, all right. I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself."

"Even though you like Asuka?" Juudai asked with puppy dog eyes.

"Even though I like Asuka," He sighed wearily.

Juudai looked as though he might rejoice. He grinned widely and hugged Manjoume tightly, squeezing the very life out of him. As he held him close, he thanked him and kissed him all over his face. Manjoume could not help but smile a bit as well. All was good with the world. Asuka might have rejected him harshly, but that was all right. He had something that might be as good, or possibly even better. He would just have to find out with time.

Laughing softly, he slipped his arms around the other boy's waist and surprised him with a tender brush of their lips. The sudden display of affection shocked Juudai quite a bit; however, he was more than happy to oblige. Slipping his tongue past Manjoume's lips, he searched his mouth and smiled as he did so. He was finally with the boy he'd longed for since he'd come to Duel Academia. And now, Manjoume was his, and no one was going to ever get between them, not even Asuka. He would guard his love with his life if he had to. And Manjoume didn't seem to have a problem with this at all.

A/N: Well, it might have moved too fast plot-wise. There was too much dialogue... And I don't know if it was quite right. I'm not sure if Manjoume was enough in-character. Then again, I NEVER trust myself with these things. ;-; But I like it, and some other people who read this before I posted it did too. So, I'm putting it up. And I will consider expanding it and revising it this summer. But I don't have time for that now. I just need your opinion on it. It definitely is not perfect. But I will try better next time.