Chapter 10: Heart and Soul

"Yuto?" Yuya whispered, his voice getting lost in the thick duvet draped over his shoulders and mouth.

There was no answer, but Yuya hardly expected there to be.

It was 7:30 in the morning and the day after their trip to the carnival. When they had arrived back home late in the evening they were already exhausted but had proceeded to spend the night talking to each other about anything and everything, well into the early hours. Yuya had ended up falling asleep in Yuto's bed, neatly curled up around him.

Focusing his hearing as best he could, he smiled to himself contently as Yuto's soft breathing filled his ears. It was a light purring noise, and it was the sweetest sound Yuya had ever heard.

He took a deep breath and snuggled deeper into Yuto's neck, getting a face full of his raven black hair. Soft and fluffy, it smelled like the outdoors (to be expected after spending so long stuck on the Ferris wheel). Underneath that however was the distinct aroma of Yuto's shampoo, a smell that he had come to love more than any other. It gave him an unmistakable scent that was so sweet and fragrant that it made Yuya want to just lie in his bed forever, revelling in the divine essence of grapefruit and vanilla…

…and now he could!

He happily burrowed his nose into Yuto's hair, humming contently as he did so. He couldn't help but giggle as it tickled him back.

Yuto began to stir. He groaned and gave his hips a slight roll, arching his back and pushing his ass towards Yuya's groin.

Yuya stiffened.

That felt good.

Yuya gently bucked his hips trying to recreate the feeling. He half-succeeded, but he was too tired to really follow up on it with any further attempts. Still, that wasn't about to discourage his curiosity.

Lazily, he moved his hand from around Yuto's waist and began delicately tracing lines from his navel up towards his collar bone, and down again. His skin was wonderfully warm to the touch, making Yuya bite his tongue with excitement. He had never had this much freedom of Yuto's body before, and he was going to take full advantage of that.

Up and down his chest his fingers went, drawing indecipherable patterns and incomplete shapes that (even if he was awake) Yuto would never understand. Yuya didn't either, but it just felt like the right thing to do.

His fingers slowed every time they reached his ribs, pressing on a little harder to feel their rough texture beneath Yuto's paper-thin skin. He followed the curvature of each one all the way around till his fingers met the mattress, only moving onto the next one when he was satisfied that he could explore no further.

Eventually, he reached the very bottom of Yuto's ribs. Curious, he continued downwards. The tissue below it was soft enough, but at the top of his hip the tips of his fingers were met with the uneven surface of the scar that Neo-Fusion had left on him. It was a reminder that things were far from over, but it also reminded Yuya that he should savour moments like these, especially considering how things almost ended for them all those weeks ago.

He decided to explore a little further. As lightly as he could as not to wake Yuto, he moved his fingers further southwards, keeping to the inside of his hip and avoiding the scar. He expected to come into contact with his boxers at any moment, but by the time he had reached the top of his thigh, he was starting to wonder whether Yuto was wearing anything at all.

It was a possibility… After all, it had been Yuya who had fallen asleep first last night (almost fully clothed). It would make sense for Yuto to have gotten ready for bed whilst he was asleep, but did his bedtime routine really include taking off all of his clothes?

The heat in his cheeks rising, Yuya decided to find out. Not wanting to appear too forward, he decided to take a peek under the covers instead of going straight in with his hand. Bringing his arm back, he pulled the duvet up slightly and stuck his head under.

Holy shit.

Yuya quickly brought his head out from under the duvet and lay still for a moment, his eyes wide and his face a light shade of pink.

Yuto wasn't naked… but he may as well have been. He was wearing his usual dragon print boxers (of course), but they were riding dangerously low on his hips, with one side hanging so low he could see the majority of his ass.

Yuya lay, staring up at the ceiling, trying his hardest not to take another look. He didn't want to just look at it however, he wanted to touch it.

His fingers twitching, he pulled back the covers once again. His breath hitched as he took in the sight once more. Perfectly rounded, the half of his ass he had on show looked amazingly firm, clearly toned from all the physical training he put himself through during the war.

Yuya tentatively reached out his hand.

"Urgghhh, what time is it?"

Yuya gasped and immediately recoiled as Yuto stirred, his whole body moving as he stretched his arms and legs out. With a roll of his shoulders, he turned over and propped himself up on one of his elbows.

"Erm…" Flustered, Yuya frantically glanced around the room looking for the clock. "7:34" he finally replied.

Yuto smiled a weary smile.

He now lay facing towards Yuya. Just his hair, face and a little of his elbow were protruding out from under the covers. His hair was a mess and he looked exhausted, but to Yuya, he was still perfect in every single way, right down to the splodge of paint he'd failed to clean off from last night's 'transformation' into a tiger.

"You know," he began, his eyes brightening. "I'm still not sure but… did I actually die last night and is this heaven?"

Yuya laughed nervously, ducking under the sheets slightly in an attempt to hide the splash of pink still colouring his cheeks.

Yuto, ever the observant one, was quick to notice. His expression quickly changed to one of concern.

"Yuya are you alright?" he asked, shifting a little closer. "You look a little pink, you didn't catch anything last night did you? Because if you did I'd feel-"

"No nothing like that," Yuya interrupted. "I… I urmmm…" He quickly pulled the sheet completely over his head. He didn't want to lie to Yuto anymore, especially about things like this, but it was just too embarrassing to look him in the eye and explain his flush as being the result of him staring at his ass while he slept.

"I-I'm just a little hot that's all. I… umm, woke up really close to you and well… I sort of saw your ass." The last part of his sentence came out as a garbled mess, but it was clear that Yuto understood what he meant.

"Oh Yuya… You don't need to be embarrassed about that."

Before Yuya could retort, he felt a pair of strong arms clasp around his waist. They pulled him close into Yuto's chest, his head coming to rest just under his chin.

"You can look all you want, okay? We're together now so you don't need to feel ashamed about how I make you feel."

Yuya nodded into his chest. It made him feel a lot better, but it didn't stop his face from continuing to burn with embarrassment.

After a few quiet moments, Yuto spoke again.

"Do you… do you want to touch it?"

Yuya's heartrate suddenly spiked.

"Can I?" he whispered, still pressed up against his chest.

Yuto didn't answer. He simply took one of Yuya's hands and gently guided it towards his hip. Once there, he loosened his grip and tugged lightly on his fingers, urging him to continue his earlier exploration.

Stretching his arm, Yuya obliged and pressed his hand down onto Yuto's partially-covered cheek. He could hear Yuto exhale deeply as he did so, his breath catching in the back of his throat.

Yuya bit his tongue. Yuto's breathy moan and the soft but firm feel of his ass were causing a heat to pool in the pit of his stomach, not to mention an uncomfortable twitching in his pants.

Not settling for a light touch, he gripped at it lightly, flexing his fingers and kneading the soft muscle until Yuto's breathing became even heavier. Yuya could feel Yuto's growing arousal pressing into his stomach, straining to break free from the thin fabric of his boxers.

"Fuck Yuya…" he breathed, trying to grind up against him for some kind of relief.

At the sound of his name, Yuya gripped even harder, digging his fingers in deep and dragging his nails across his skin. Getting closer to the groove of his ass, he found himself obstructed by a layer of fabric.

"Yuto…" he whispered, grabbing at the fabric and balling it in his fist.

Yuto responded by swiftly laying back down on his back and pulling Yuya up on top of him. Their legs now entangled and their bodies aligned, Yuto grasped Yuya's arms and pushed them down either side of his head. He then hooked his fingers under the collar of Yuya's shirt and pulled, practically ripping it off of his body.

In the scramble, they had become free of the duvet which now lay limply on the floor. Yuya could feel the cool air on his bare back (their window still hadn't been fixed), but he didn't care one bit. All he could focus on was the beautiful boy below him, staring up at him with a seductive smirk, his eyes wide and his breathing heavy with affection.

Yuto licked his lips and hooked his arms around Yuya's neck.

"I love you so fucking much…"

That did it.

Overcome with emotion and need, Yuya brought his lips crashing down onto Yuto's, their mouths meeting with a loud smack. Within seconds Yuya was moaning into his mouth, the pure bliss he felt too much to contain within his body. It was amazing, the soft texture of his slightly chapped lips, the feel of his strong hands around his neck, the wet heat of his mouth…

…something was different however. Something he'd experienced before, but not like this.

He could feel it seeping through every inch of Yuto's body. He hadn't felt it earlier, but now…

It was as if Yuto was radiating passion, his affection and desire permeating through his touch; his lips, hands and body acting as conduits for his emotions. Was this…

…their bond?

Yuya frantically grinded his hips against Yuto's, overwhelmed by the strength of his desire. He could feel Yuto's intensity, his love for him, filtering through his tender touch, emotions running high and wild through their bodies. It was so strong it was pulling him in, causing him to grind harder and faster. He could barely see straight, the heat and emotion too much for him to take.

"Yu-Yuya… ahhhhhh… Yuya slow down," Yuto managed to choke out, their lips finally parting.

Yuya inhaled sharply and snapped back to reality. He rolled off of Yuto, severing their connection.

"Are you okay?" Yuto panted, helping him to sit up.

"I'm… I'm not sure," Yuya replied hazily, his eyes wide and his pupils blown. "I... I could feel something, something between us-"

"You felt it too?" Yuto was quick to interrupt.

Yuya swallowed hard and nodded. He wasn't sure how to talk about… whatever this was. He knew they shared something, a connection, but how could he explain it? He didn't know what it was, what caused it, or why it was there in the first place. All he had were assumptions and his past experiences. If Yuto could feel it too, then maybe he could shed some light on this.

They both sat in relative silence for a moment, ruminating on the 'bond' they apparently shared. Yuya really hoped Yuto would be the one to mention it first. As it turns out, he did.

"Have you felt it before?" he asked, his eyes searching Yuya's face for an answer.

"I think so… but not like that."

Yuto pushed back off the headboard and crossed his legs. He smiled reassuringly, as if he sensed Yuya's hesitance.

"I have, quite a few times actually."

Yuya gave him a look as if to say, really?

"Yeah, just not as strong a feeling I guess. It's silly but… it's kind of like I can feel your emotions when it happens."

"That's exactly it," Yuya piped up. "It's as if we're still in the same body, like… like when you took over during our duel with Serena and Ruri."

"It's a similar feeling yeah but… we don't share a body anymore. So why is this happening?"

Yuya frowned.

Yuto was again quick to notice his change in expression.

"Sorry," he explained, "I didn't mean to make it sound like it was a bad thing, I'm just super confused is all." He moved closer to Yuya and lay down beside him. Placing a delicate finger on his side, he began to draw lines along his ribs. "I actually think it's kind of cute," he whispered sheepishly. "It makes me feel really close to you."

Yuya couldn't help but smile at Yuto's warm words. "I remember," Yuya began, "the first time I felt it was when we were walking home in the dark that time when we were attacked, the way you held me afterwards in the stairwell… I could feel how much you cared about me, I've never felt anything like it."

He could feel tears tugging at the corners of his eyes, but he continued anyway. "It happened a lot after that, whenever you touched me I could feel almost exactly how you felt, and sometimes, especially if you were upset or hurt, I'd try and send you some happy feelings to try and make you feel better."

"Awww Yuya, come here." Yuto pulled Yuya down into hug, both of them again now lying on their sides.

"I tried not to reveal my emotions to you most of the time though, I was scared of… well showing you how I truly felt about you. I-I shouldn't have kept that from you," Yuya continued, sobbing lightly. "I'm sorry… I always tried holding it back, I didn't want you to know because I was scared you wouldn't feel the same way."

Yuto stroked his hair gently as Yuya cried softly into his neck. "It's okay it's okay, I… I did the same thing."

"You did?" Yuya sniffed.

"Yes… I shouldn't have but I did. When I was sure that I loved you I tried to not let it show… I came so close before the night with Neo-Fusion, you have no idea. When I had hold of your hand before we left, I was trying so hard to not think of how much I loved you in case you could feel it."

Yuya squeezed him tighter. "I love you so much… please tell me this won't come between us."

"Of course it won't," Yuto assured him. "I love the fact we can be that close. I don't know how it works, and I'm not sure exactly how we can trigger it or when it can happen… or even if we can even control it but in the end none of that matters. All that matters is that I love you, and you love me."

Yuya nodded and closed his eyes contently, knowing Yuto meant every word of what he said. He absentmindedly pushed Yuto back down and nuzzled up into his neck, slinging an arm across his chest and pulling him close.

They lay like this for some time, both boys happy in the knowledge that such a strange part of their relationship was now out in the open. After a while, Yuya began to feel sleepy again. Just as he was about to nod off, he was startled by the sound of his duel disk booting up across the room.

Yuya groaned, but didn't move.

"You should get that," Yuto whispered.

"I'm not moving," Yuya assured him. "I can't reach it so I guess it'll have to wait… plus you're way too cuddly, there's no way I'm letting go."

"It could be important."

When Yuya didn't move, Yuto tried to wiggle free from his grasp.

"I'll get it," he grumbled, swinging his legs over the side of the bed trying to stand. Yuya was quick enough to grab him around the waist, so Yuto had no choice but to drag Yuya with him.

Once he had gone so far however, Yuya was forced to let go with an exaggerated whine, not willing to fall off the bed and flat on his face.

Yuto grabbed Yuya's duel disk from the small table beside the door and engaged the message function. Pressing some of the device's many buttons, a chat box soon appeared on its main display.

"It's from Reiji," Yuto stated flatly.

"Why did he not just text my phone?" Yuya propped himself up on his elbows and stared at Yuto, distracted somewhat by his semi-naked form.

"Must be important…" Yuto read the message, eventually letting out a sigh and switching off the disk, placing it back on the table. "He wants you to meet him at Leo HQ at 8:45, something about dimension hopping to Standard for the day. Says it's urgent."

Yuya sighed heavily and hung his head over the edge of the bed. "Why on a Sunday… and at 8:45? That's in less than an hour..."

"What is it he wants you for?" Yuto asked, now leaning against the wall.

"He wants me to go to Standard and try to find Sora, he thinks he might know something about Neo-Fusion."

"Hmm, he asked me to do the same with Shun here in Xyz."

"He did?" Yuya looked up, surprised.

"Yeah, it's a lost cause though. The war was tough on Shun… and Sora from what I could tell back then. I really don't think this will be too helpful."

"Maybe not, but it would be nice to see Sora again I guess, it's been so long." Yuya smiled wistfully. "Will you… come with me?"

Yuto pushed off the wall and opened the door. "Do you really even need to ask?" he smirked. "Not even dimensions will keep us apart."

Yuya grinned and bit his lip, Yuto's words taking him back to last night atop of the Ferris wheel.

Yuto strolled out of through the door and disappeared around the corner.

"What time did you say we need to be there?" he called from the corridor.

"8:45!" Yuya shouted back.

Yuto suddenly appeared back at the doorway, just his head poking in from around the corner. "That's too bad," he hummed, "if only we'd have had a little more time."

With the most playful of smiles and a cheeky wink, he extended an arm around the doorway and threw his boxers onto the floor beside the bed, right in front of Yuya.

Yuya could only sigh in frustration as Yuto disappeared into the corridor once again, laughing as he went.

Notes:

Hey All,

First off I'm sorry for not updating sooner. March was incredibly busy for me thanks to University, and I was also working on my pawnship one-shot (Incitement and Excitement) that I uploaded last week (I think?). I guess your reward for waiting so long was this, let's say heated, chapter (that has probably warranted a rating change!). We'll get to the proper smut eventually I'm sure;) Also, woo 10 chapters!

A quick note on the AU as I think something needs clarifying: As I've said before, this is in the same AU as Bittersweet Heat, only a year before. So the deal is Zarc never happened and once Fusion and Leo were defeated, the ARC reactor never activated. Rather than becoming one, Yuya and Yuto never succumbed to the darkness in their hearts (what would have been Zarc). The whole Zarc thing was never explained to anyone either, so no-one knows why Leo wanted Yuya and Yuzu and their counterparts (so canon divergence at Ep 126 I guess?). Yuto was still absorbed by Yuya, and Yugo was still absorbed by Yuri, but once Fusion were defeated and the reactor destroyed, they became physical again. The four dimensions still exist separately too. Phew, I hope that makes some kind of sense lol. More will be explained in the story eventually I guess, but there's no need to get bogged down in any of this, the current story is what's important :3

As for the next update, it come eventually! I'm probably going to work on maybe a one-shot for arc-v anniversary month, but once that's done I'll start on the next chapter!

Thank you so much for reading and understanding. I love you all 33 Hope you enjoyed this chapter!