A/N: I don't own Yugioh Zexal. I also never remember to put these disclaimers

7:30 AM

His alarm beeped from across the room, strategically placed so he would be forced to actually get up to turn it off. He yawned and stretched as the beeping continued, wiping sleep from his red eyes.

"Good morning, Yuma," his spirit companion floats at the end of his hammock, a soft smile on his lips.

"Ah, morning," he yawns, his whole body smiling. He hurries to turn off the incessant beeping, accidentally swinging his legs straight through Astral's form, but not noticing.

He dashes to get dressed and ready for school, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt and trying not to think about the ghost he can feel more than see watching him, his ears heating up at the thought.

11:45 AM

"Hey Yuma, are you going to eat lunch with Cathy and me today?" Kotori's sweet voice resounds in the school hallway, in contrast to her aggressive hand placed on the wall next to Yuma's head as she leans toward him. He smiles, with a hint of a cringe, putting his hands up in a protective gesture

"I'm sorry Kotori, I've got to go do something," he sidles out from Kotori's scrutinizing gaze, rushing up to the roof.

"You can eat with your friends if you want to," Astral says, their hands intertwined around the key.

"I don't get to talk to you all day cause people think it's weird I'm talking to myself. I'm not giving this up," he turns from looking at the cityscape to Astral's face. Subconsciously, he tries to squeeze Astral's hand, but he touches nothing but air. His smile fades. Astral looks down at their hands (the holding is fake, he's not there, never really there).

"Yuma…are you happy?"

"What kind of a question is that? Of course I'm happy!" Yuma laughs, barking and loud and hollow. "C'mon, I have to get back to class."

4:48 PM

Yuma whistles as he walked home from the plaza, his hands resting on the back of his head. "I really brought it to 'em today, eh Astral?" Astral floats beside him, arms crossed and staring off into nothing. Yuma pouts, stopping and throwing his arms down. "What is wrong with you? We even got a Numbers card today!" Astral blinks, as if coming out of a trance. "Is – is the memory from it bothering you?"

"It was…" Astral trailed off, lost in the swimming form of his latest recovered memory. Two astral residents. They were shadowed, running from an explosion. And when one couldn't run anymore…the other chose to stay, holding their companion until they both burned. "It's not important." Yuma frowns, opening his mouth like he wants to press the subject, but closes it again, starting to walk.

"Tch, whatever."

11:22 PM

Yuma yawns as he leans back, sitting on the floor and watching the end of ESPer Robin with Astral. "Man, the second season isn't as good," he whines, "I miss having Galaxy Queen as a villain, her being part of the good guys is kinda boring."

"But didn't you like when she was freed from the influence of Dead Max?"

"Well yeah, but it's boring now. They should make someone turn evil, I bet that'd make it more interesting." Astral turns so the side, eyes staring far away.

They sit together in companionable silence as the credits and next episode's preview play.

"Hey, Astral…" Yuma blushed slightly as he swung over to hover like he was sitting in Astral's lap. Astral covered his mouth with his hand, floating through the floor and standing up. "What are you doing?"

"I can't. There were too many reminders today."

"Reminders of what?"

"That this – everything we have – it's all a lie."

"You think – you think this is a lie?" Yuma spluttered out.

"I can't really touch you, Yuma! It is a lie!"

"You think I care about that? I love you, Astral," Yuma pulled himself to his feet. "I'll keep loving you even if I never get to touch you. But I always thought you wanted to try, you covered my hand first, you tried to hug me first, you started to kiss me-"

"Because I want to! I want to so badly, but every time I can't-"

"Oh my god, you are so frustrating sometimes! So we can't touch right now, maybe it's not a permanent thing. And so what if it is? That doesn't prevent us from being together."

Beads of liquid formed on the outside of Astral's eyes, "Yuma… I just…" Astral leaned in until their faces were inches apart when the key began to glow, shooting into Astral. He wrapped his arms around Yuma, clutching to him and pressing their lips together. Yuma stiffened but then relaxed and returned the hug. They stayed there for several seconds, holding a chaste closed-mouth kiss.

Astral finally pulled away, but refused to let go of the hug. Yuma smiled a bit too mischievously.

"Do you feel better now?"