Can I Have Her?

It was the next day, and while everyone was sleeping soundly and comfortably on their futons, Jessie was already awake and ready to start the day. He burst into their room with a trumpet in hand, before he blew it loudly causing all the boys to wake up in a startled manner. "AH! WHAT THE HECK!" Yelled Syrus who sat up while covering his ears. Jaden was also now wide awake and looked around grumpily as he released a yawn. "What's with all the ruckus so early in the morning?" Jessie marched over to them with a confident smile and placed his hands on his hips with his school bag slung over his shoulder. "You sleepy butts can't stay in bed all morning! I wanted to show you around campus before the school day started, so hop to it soldiers!"

They all groaned but did what they were told. Jaden went to the bathroom first and started brushing his teeth, but nearly died of shock when Jessie burst into the room without even knocking first. He liked meeting energetic and positive people, but this guy seemed to be on a whole other level. "Do you mind? I'm kind of in the middle of something here." Jaden said to him with toothpaste all over his mouth. Jessie chuckled nervously before he walked over and grabbed his wallet that he had left on the sink. "My bad. This is my first year being a chaperone so it's kind of hard for me to adjust to other people being in my dorm. I'll be getting out of your hair now." He said in his thick southern accent.

Jessie's eyes glossed over Jaden who still had his mouth wide open and he could see his fangs poking out from his upper lip. "Huh. I didn't know you were a monster. I assumed that the headmaster assigned me with all human students. What kind of monster are you?" He asked curiously, which made Jaden blush. This guy really didn't have any filter, almost like he says the first thing that comes straight to his mind. "That's kind of a personal question, don't you think? Besides, I thought Yokai Academy had a rule where students weren't allowed to reveal their monster identities to each other." He said before he gargled and spit into the sink.

"So you know about that huh? Well I guess you would since you're a monster yourself. But if you don't feel comfortable telling me then I won't force you. I feel like I can tell anyways what you are just from looking at you. The fangs are a dead giveaway, mister vampire." He said with a small chuckle which only made Jaden blush even more. "But don't worry! I won't tell anyone your secret, I promise! I doubt you'd want all that unnecessary attention anyways. But you finish up getting ready and I'll meet you all out front when ya'll are done." He said before leaving the bathroom. Jaden didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling about him. Not that he was coming off as a malicious person, but only because he was having trust issues after that intense dream he had yesterday. You could never be too trusting of the people you just meet.

They all finished getting ready before heading out and meeting Jessie in the front of the dorms who was accompanied by Alexis who opted to sleep in the girls dorm, since she wasn't comfortable sleeping in the same room with a bunch of men. "Alright! Now that everybody is here, let's get going!" Jessie said in a cheery tone as he started leading the way. Jaden walked a little ways behind him, cautiously watching him with Syrus by his side. Syrus leaned closer to him so that he could whisper something to the teenaged vampire. "Jessie seems kind of intense, don't you think? Not in a bad way cause he seems like a kind person. But waking us up like that was a bit over the top." Said his best friend who yawned. Jaden couldn't have agreed more with that statement. He found it a little odd that Jessie was trying so hard to leave a good impression. No one acted that nicely without having ulterior motives.

They kept walking until they made it to a giant lake filled with glistening red water. Jessie dropped his bag and took in a deep breath of fresh air as he sighed happily. "Now this is one of my favorite places on the entire campus. Doesn't it scream with serenity?" He said as he pulled out some bento boxes and set them on the ground near a prepared picnic blanket. "What's all this for?" Asked Bastion who was looking curiously at the set up. "This is your first time visiting the monster world, right? I thought I'd show you the beauty's it can provide before you only hear about the bad stuff. Now let's all sit and eat breakfast while we take in the scenery!" He said as he sat down on the blanket and patted the ground with his hand.

One by one, they sat down and Jessie gave each of them their own bento boxes with various foods inside. "Don't be shy and dig in! I made all this food for ya'll yesterday before you arrived. I guess I just got a little excited to meet you guys that I got a bit carried away." He said as he opened his bento which was filled with egg rolled omelets, pickled cabbage salad and little cut up hot dog octopuses. Syrus's mouth started to water when he looked at the adorable bento and eagerly opened his own so that he could start eating. Alexis and Bastion followed suit, but Jaden hesitated to start eating his own. "Is something the matter bud? Oh! I know what the problem is! It's cause it's not blood, isn't it? Since you vampires love that stuff. If I had known sooner, I would have gotten something more suitable for your pallet." Said Jessie as he spooned food into his mouth.

Jaden forced on a smile as he felt a vein pop out on his forehead. "Actually that's just a rude stereotype. We can eat regular food too, it's just not as filling." He said before his stomach growled and instantly, he was embarrassed once more. It was true that he was craving blood, only because he was still recovering from the effects of the water. When he drank Alexis's blood back then when they were fighting the kraken, it was only enough to heal his wounds. But he suffered some major damage during the battle and hasn't drunk any blood since then to help himself recover. But it bothered him still, he used to be able to go throughout the whole month without even thinking about blood, but now, he couldn't stop himself from craving it. Why was that?

"Well, you know I'm always willing to share my blood with you if that's what you want to eat." Said Alexis shyly as she pulled down her collar, and Jaden's eyes instantly started tracing her neck. He could see her bluish veins and could smell the blood pulsating through them. He got closer to her and sniffed her neck which made her flinch, but before he sunk his fangs inside, he got a flashback of that dream where he killed his mother. He stopped only moments before biting down and turned away from her with a horrific look on his face. "I-it's okay Alexis. I don't want to make you feel weak before we even get to the school." He said before he opened his bento and started eating like he was starving. "It really is delicious, thank you so much Jessie!" He said as he tried to ignore Alexis's annoyed glare at him.

Jessie caught on to the awkward atmosphere and smiled. "Somehow, I feel like I just saw something that I wasn't meant to see." He said with Syrus and Bastion sighing as they sat beside him. "Who are you telling? We've been dealing with these two for the last couple of weeks now." They said in unison. Jessie could tell that there was some sort of romantic feelings involved here, but Jaden seemed too oblivious to catch onto them. If that was the case, he thought maybe he could help them move things along. He smirked mischievously as a playful idea entered his mind. He knew it wasn't his place to intervene, but he couldn't ignore his nature when they were so obvious in needing help to sort out their relationship. How could an incubus like him possibly ignore such a tasty looking opportunity?

They finished breakfast and made it to school, and not much to their surprise, a fight was already breaking out in the school's courtyard. Chazz was in his werewolf form as he brawled against an ogre, and he easily defeated him and knocked him out with only three quick strikes. He stood proudly over his opponent while the female Yokai students fangirled over how strong he was. "That's right. Shower me with all of your affection!" He said as he started to laugh, and then noticed Jaden and his group watching him. He looked at Alexis who was standing behind the vampire and he froze up. He cleared his throat before turning to the swarming crowd of girls and glared at them. "I mean, you all should just mind your business! It's like you've never seen someone get their ass kicked before! Now scram before I make you!" He said while flaring his demonic aura and they all quickly dispersed.

He turned back into his human form before walking over to join them. "Can you believe those girls? I know I'm amazing and all, but there's only one girl in the world who is befitting to be the Chazzter's girlfriend! Isn't that right Alexis?" He said with a smug look on his face, hoping she saw how strong and dependent he was, but she was too busy staring at the back of Jaden's head to notice that he was even there talking to them. His face grew hot as he stomped his foot in frustration. "What am I, chopped liver?! I'm talking! The least you losers can do is listen!" He said with a growl which made Jaden chuckle. "What were you doing fighting that guy over there? Did he do something to you?" Jaden asked with a tilt of his head.

"He was just talking a whole load of crap. He was saying that us monsters at Duel Academy were weak since we chose to live in the human world. But I sure made him eat those words really quick, didn't I?" He said proudly as he crossed his arms. "I'd avoid getting into too many fights here. It's against the rules for students to fight on school grounds. And now that you've drawn attention to yourself, you can expect to be challenged a whole lot more." Said Jessie as he stepped in to put in his two scents. "He's right you know." Said a sexy sounding voice. Chazz turned around and felt his face burn like fire when he saw a sexy blue haired girl with purple eyes and ginormous breasts. Her name is Kurumu Kurono, and she was the school's head nurse as well as Tsukune and Moka's high school friend. 

She saw Jaden from where she was standing and instantly started squealing. "Oh my goodness! It can't be true, is it?! Is that little baby Jaden I see standing before me?!" She said before she ran at him and jumped on him, shoving his face between her breasts. He started squirming with his arms flailing around in the air. "You've grown so big! You're such a handsome young man, almost as handsome as my darling Tsukune!" She said as she continued to squeeze him, and when she let him go, Jaden gasped for air. "It's really good to see you too Kurumu…" He said as he chuckled nervously. Jessie stood beside Alexis and when he looked at her, he could see the jealousy written all over her face. He smirked before he walked up to the nurse and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh sweet cousin, you don't even realize the problems you're causing with that flirtatious personality of yours." He said as he shook his head disappointingly. "Wait a minute." Jaden said as he looked between the two of them. The blue hair should have been a dead giveaway, but now that he knew that they were related, he couldn't unsee it now. "You two are cousins?!" He said in shock, and then realized what kind of monster Jessie must have been. "So that means you're an incubus. No offense, but you don't really seem like the type." Jaden said as he placed a finger on his chin. Jessie chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Now who's giving into rude stereotypes? Just cause I'm a lust demon doesn't mean I'm always going to be a horny bastard that chases after every woman he sees." He said, before he looked at Alexis who still seemed upset. "But I guess I could make special exceptions for certain people." 

Jaden didn't understand what he could mean by that and just shrugged his shoulders. "Anyways, it was nice seeing you again Kurumu. But we have to get going for this morning's demonstrations. Otherwise Moka will punish me if we end up being late." He said as he brushed passed her. They made it to the gymnasium where Moka gave a quick speech to announce what the plan was for the upcoming week. "After lunch, I plan on pairing the Yokai Students and the Duel Academy students up. You will then battle each other and I will grade your performance after the fight is over. This will be like a test, because on the last day of the school trip I will be grading you and comparing your scores. If you do not show any improvements then I will count you as a fail." She said lastly before dismissing everyone. 

The school day proceeded as normal with first and second period flying by, and soon lunch was right around the corner. Jaden was able to sneak off since he was still all up in his head and he just wanted time alone to himself. He just couldn't stop thinking about that dream that he had. "Mother… I miss you much." He said as he leaned against the wall in an empty hallway where a tear streaked down his face. It was all his fault, and he couldn't stop blaming himself for it. He always knew there was a reason why he stopped drinking fresh blood for all those years, he just never knew why. When Inner Jaden put on the seal for the first time, it was like he was a newborn baby. He came into the world with no memories or sense of person. All the memories from his past weren't even actually his. It was dreams like that that made him understand who he used to be, and he felt like he needed to punish himself for his transgressions.

Yubel materialized next to him and a frown was etched into their face. "What seems to be the matter now, my darling master?" They asked him. Jaden looked at the ground with his bangs covering his eyes. "I had a dream Yubel… A really terrible one. All this time, I blamed a monster for killing my mother. How come you never told me the truth?" He said with pain in his voice. "Truth? What truth could you possibly mean?" They asked him, and for the first time, Jaden glared at them with a look of utter distrust. "How come you never told me that I was the monster that killed my mom?!" He shouted out loud, leaving them stunned. "Oh Jaden…" They said as they went to pat his head, but he swatted their hand away.

"I never told you the truth because I wanted to protect your feelings. That fateful day was the first time that I met you, and I instantly wanted to take you under my wing and cherish you. What happened to your mom was not your doing. It was that evil spirit that resides within you, my previous master, the Supreme King." They said which instantly peeked Jaden's interest. "He was in my dream too, and I've actually met him a couple of times recently. Just who the hell is he? And what does he want from me?" He asked them seriously. He didn't want any more secrets. All he wanted was the truth, and nothing but the truth. "I deserve to be told that much at least for all the secrets that you kept from me!" He said while he gritted his teeth.

"Yubel, you've been my closest ally and confidant since I came into this world. And if I can't trust you, then who the hell can I trust?" He said sorrowfully. "Oh Jaden… Please don't be so cross with me. Like I said, I only withheld that information from you because I wanted to protect you. I know how sensitive you can be." They told him. "But as far as the Supreme King goes, he and I have a long and strenuous history. Believe it or not, I wasn't always a Duel Spirit." They said, which left Jaden shocked. For as long as he known his guardian, they've been a creepy looking bat winged demon. He couldn't imagine them taking on a human form. 

"There is another dimension separate to both the human and monster world. It's the birthplace and home of all Duel Spirits. Back then, I was a resident of that dimension, which was called Dark World. There was a child that was born into that world who was a vampire; the first vampire born from Alucard. And he had a special gift. For you see, he represented the darkness of all living things and earned the title of King from the spirits who could not refuse his power." Jaden listened intently to their story as they continued to speak. "I was one of the humans from that dimension and became his loyal servant. In the end, I even underwent a procedure that could turn me into a Duel Spirit so that I could forever follow and protect his majesty." They said sadly.

"You sound like you really cared about him then. But I can't understand why. If he's evil, then why would you be willing to do something like that to yourself? Why would you want to follow someone like that?!" He said with anger booming in his voice. "He wasn't always an evil spirit Jaden. He made a simple mistake, and it ended up ruining his life. Like I said, he represented the darkness that was in the hearts of every living thing. He used to be so sweet and gentle… But he couldn't ignore his nature anymore, and a lot of people got hurt because of him. But I had to stand by my choice. Eventually someone was able to bring a stop to him, and his soul became so vengeful that he refused to leave this plain of existence. He ended up reincarnating, and eventually, he was reborn and became you." They said as they looked at him seriously.

Jaden gasped as he covered his mouth with his hands. "Reincarnation? What are you talking about? I-I'm not that guy! You said it yourself, he's just an evil spirit who tried to take control of my body!" Yubel shook their head. "It's a bit hard to explain, but you and the king are the same person. You are different sides of the same coin. He represents the darkness that lives inside of you and is an echo of your distant past. I know you would never do anything to harm your mother, that's why I said it wasn't your fault. But because the past you refused to disappear because he was so fueled by hatred, he made you lose control and you ended up taking your own mother's life. Your actions were not your own, so how could it have been your fault?"

Jaden smiled softly before he sighed. "I see… I think I'm starting to understand. I apologize for being short with you earlier. It's just not easy you know? Coming to terms with the terrible things you've done. I'm sorry for taking my anger out on you Yubel, I just didn't know where else to put the anger I was feeling. But I'm better now, I promise." He said with his signature grin. Yubel smiled and opened their mouth to say something more but was interrupted by Jessie who started approaching them. "Wow! Now that's what I call a Duel Spirit!" Jessie said excitedly as he strode over to them, with his partner Ruby Carbuncle sitting on top of his shoulder. "Huh?! You can actually see Yubel right now?! But that's impossible! I thought I was the only one who could commune with the spirits!" He asked with a look of astonishment.

"You really thought that you were the only one who could? I admit you have got some special talent considering how you can summon them all on your own. I mean, I can't even do that! And the spirits just adore me! Isn't that right Ruby?" He said as he scratched the purple cat underneath its chin which made it purr. "That's why I was so interested in you when I saw you for the first time. Your friends couldn't see them, but I definitely could. It wasn't just your pal there or your cute Winged Kuriboh who kept you company while you were past out. But pretty much every monster from your deck was just watching over you too. I ain't never seen a gathering of that many spirits in one place before. You must be something real special." He said with a look of intrigue. 

Oh yeah, he was special alright. But how was he supposed to explain that he was the reincarnation of an evil Duel Spirit King? He thought about it for a second, but maybe Jessie didn't deserve his hostility after all. He remembered what Kahlua told him all those years ago about how the spirit's chose to associate with pure hearted individuals or people with great destinies. If Jessie was able to talk to the spirits as well, then that should be proof enough that he genuinely was just a kind person. And here he was, doubting his intentions. He felt like such a fool. "I guess I should be saying the same thing about you. You're the first person I've met who had a gift similar to mine. It makes me feel less lonely in a way since I have something I can relate to you about. I could never talk about this with anyone before, so it's kind of nice." Jaden said with a smile.

"Oh buddy I know just what you mean. But to be honest, I was looking around for you. Do you mind if me and you talk in private for a little bit? Man to man?" He said with a serious expression on his face. Jaden smiled awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. What on Earth could he possibly want to talk about that would make him so serious all of a sudden? "Uh, yeah. Sure. What did you want to talk to me about?" Jessies glanced around to make sure that no one was listening but by now the bell had already rung and signaled the start of the lunch period which meant that the hallways were now flooded with students. "Let's not talk here. I want to go somewhere more private so we can chat. Follow me." He said before he put his hands in his pockets and started walking away with Jaden following him.

The two made it to the school roof and Jessie was standing at the edge, overlooking the courtyard as he soaked in the suns rays. Jaden stood behind him with his fists balled up, the anticipation of their conversation was starting to get to him. "So what did you want to talk about? Now's the chance to bring it up while I'm still interested." He said indifferently. Jessie smirked before he turned around with a playful look on his face. "I was just curious to know what your relationship was like with that human girl you know." He brought up out of the blue, which made Jaden confused. "Human girl? Do you mean Alexis? She and I are just friends." He replied, not understanding why he would ask him something like that.

"Really? You two are just friends? That's surprising to hear since it's so obvious that she has feelings for you." He said as he shrugged his shoulders and Jaden started to blush. "What?! No way! Alexis doesn't have feelings for me, we're just really close, that's all." He said underneath his breath as he looked away embarrassed. This entire conversation was just completely inappropriate! Why would he ask him something so intimate like that? They only just met! It's not like he could consider this guy a friend, even if they both could talk to Duel Monster Spirits. "Hmm, I see. Well even if you can't see it, I can. As an incubus I've grown accustomed to noticing the lustful and romantic feelings of other people. It's sort of my whole shtick. So is it safe for me to assume that you don't like her like that?" He said with an innocent smile.

Jaden started to blush even more just at the thought of it. Sure his and Alexis's relationship has changed a lot since he started drinking her blood, but that's all it was! She was just being a good friend offering help and he took it! He didn't even know what it meant to like someone so how would he know if he liked her like that or not? He knew that he cared about her and that she was someone incredibly important to him, but that's all it was. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. "Yeah. I only see her as a friend, and that's it. Why are you so interested on this topic anyways?" Jaden said as he glared at him and crossed his arms. Jessie continued to smile before he spoke. "Well that's a relief to hear! Cause you see, I find her incredibly beautiful and now I'm interested. So you don't mind if I take her off of your hands, right?"