I'm sorry that Ch. 9 ended on the kiss.

"Hey, uh...Yusei?" Luna whispered to break the silence.

"Yeah?" the scientist questioned back.

"Where do you and I stand in this...relationship?" she wondered.

"I'd probably say openly romantic, if that makes sense," he surmised. "We're still good friends, but also testing the waters as a couple."

"That's good enough for now," the young woman guessed. "What do we do now?"

"Judging by the time, I should hit the sack," Yusei noted. "I don't know about you."

"Can I...sleep in your bed tonight?" she requested timidly, placing her palm on his chest. "Please?" The college girl looked up at him with the innocent eyes that are known to melt hearts.

"With that look, all I can say is yes," he gave in, stroking her cheek with his left index finger. Luna beamed at this and leaned in to peck Yusei's lips a second time. Soon after, she felt her feet leave the ground, as Yusei had lifted her off the ground, bridal style, with one hand in the crook of her knees and the other slung under her right arm.

"Careful now," she reminded him as he hobbled to and up the stairs, being mindful to not drop his new "arm candy" and not trip over his own feet. Once they were on the second floor, Yusei put her down gently in front of her door.

"I'll wait for you while you find something comfortable to sleep in," he hummed to her. Luna giggled at this and winked at Yusei before slipping into her room.

"I think this'll be good for me," he predicted in his head.

Once his suit was off and he was back in his recognizable muscle shirt, Yusei was leafing through a science fiction novel (go figure), a knock came rapping at his door. And just like that, Luna strutted her way inside, wearing nothing but a silky nightgown pullover, same color as her dress, which stopped right above her knees. Compared to the dress, it was loose all around and it was held up by thin spaghetti straps.

"Do you like what you see?" she purred questionably.

"Mm-hmm," Yusei gulped, setting his book on the nightstand to his right. "Mm-hmm."

"Just be sure to keep your eyes on my face," Luna pointed out, slipping under the bedspread to his left. "It feels good in here."

"Glad you think so," the scientist quipped, switching the lamp off.

"I don't want to go to sleep right now," the college girl playfully whined.

"What do you want to—" Yusei's thought was cut short when Luna locked her lips over his and twirled her legs around Yusei's left leg. In the dark, where the only sounds heard were crickets chirping and frogs croaking, Luna and Yusei were more than content to journey around each other's mouths and occasionally explore parts of their heated bodies. For how long this went on, they had no idea and could care less.

Morning came in quietly and the sun shone through the bedroom windows to reveal a smiling and sleeping Luna using part of Yusei's upper arm as a pillow. To her right, Yusei still had his eyes closed and his black flame hairstyle was still somewhat recognizable. To both their dismay, a ringing broke the peaceful silence they were lying in.

"Get the phone, somebody," he muttered, trying to stay asleep. His voice jarred Luna from her slumber, but she didn't mind at all. She lightly kissed his forehead and reached over to answer the phone.

"Hello?" the young woman yawned. "Yes...um…okay...sure...I'll tell him." She hung up the phone and looked down at the snoozing Yusei.

"I'll tell him when he wakes up," she thought, lying back on Yusei.

The silence came back and the embracing pair slept in for a short while more. It was a given that Yusei assumed Luna answered the phone. It was what she agreed for him to that would change things. When his internal clock went off, he unfurled his joints, producing a few cracking sounds.

"Someone's awake," Luna chimed in. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," the scientist groaned. "Much better than in recent memory. Maybe that's 'cause of you."

"I like the sound of that," the college girl tittered. "By the way, when the phone rang and I answered it for you, I inadvertently signed you up for a Turbo Duel against an interesting opponent."

"Who?" Yusei asked, standing up.

"My brother," Luna confessed. "His agent had scheduled his first pro league match against Jack today in New Domino. However, for one reason or another, Jack had to pull out of the match and rather than cancel the match, Leo wanted this to be his rematch against you, after you two dueled in the Tops all those years ago."

"Okay..." the guy commented, taken off-guard for a second. "I say 'Bring it on.'" This match was going to be difficult on the girl. Who did she want to win: her brother or her lover? After they dressed, fueled up at breakfast, and hopped on Yusei's runner, she was going to get her answer.

One thing that did remain after eight years was the duel track where Yusei had dueled Jack twice and Team 5D's began their journey in the grand prix. This would be appropriate as Leo would showcase his new and improved skills against one of the duelists he looked up to. They got to the garage area where last minute check-ups could be applied. While Yusei looked over his ride and Luna watched up close, they heard a familiar and more collected voice.

"Just like old times, huh?" the voice greeted them. Luna turned her head to see her brother standing there with his helmet in his left hand. Her spirit lifted and she leapt over to squeeze the living daylights out of him.

"I can't believe you're here, Leo," she squealed, still hugging him tightly.

"I can't believe you have the grip of a constrictor," the male twin wheezed before Luna released her grip.

"Sorry," she apologized quickly.

"It's cool," Leo coughed. "Where's Yusei?" His sister pointed to where the iconic red vehicle stood, being touched up. He smirked and stepped over to say a few words to his opponent.

"Knock knock," he opened the joke.

"Who's there?" the scientist played along, looking up.

"The next duel champion," Leo boasted confidently. "And this time's gonna be different."

The gauntlet has been thrown: Yusei vs. Leo, Round 2. Who'll emerge as the victor? This is how I intended for Leo to play a role in this story. Good or not good? And don't worry about my "attempt" at Luna and Yusei's love scene; the rating change should cover that. I'll try to get the duel underway before August starts. Anyway, review if you choose and stay tuned for the duel. Check out my crossover if you want a current match.