Title: Words Carved In The Soul
Ship: Yubel x Juudai x Johan
Chapters: 1-1||Words: 1,410
Genre: Romance||Rated: G
Challenges: Pairing Diversity Boot Camp, YGO, #12, response; YGO GX Rare Pairs Week 2022, day #7, Free Day
Notes: Soulmate!AU
Summary: When one's soulmate utters one's name, soulmates become known to one another. And when one has two soulmates…
"Yuuki Juudai?"
When the stranger uttered his name, Juudai jerked, eyes going wide, as the strangest feeling he'd ever sensed in his life swept over him. He'd heard stories about it. Everyone knew that it could happen, but no one knew when or if it might happen to them. He swallowed, staring, his mouth carrying on the conversation but his mind not really involved. Feeling the touch of the other's hands on his sent thrills all through him.
He had no idea of what to think. That strange dream he'd had before waking up had been strange enough. The voice that he'd heard - it made him feel almost like hearing this guy's voice did. But he didn't have time to work it out, not when Shou and Kenzan showed up and reminded him that the ceremony would be starting soon.
So he quickly waved good-bye and darted off; if this guy were just starting at Duel Academia, then they would have the chance to talk later. It wasn't as if he could miss the guy. No one he knew had hair like that - but it was familiar, regardless. At least a little, as if he'd seen it somewhere before.
It is a little like Shou's or Kaiser's. Not quite identical but pretty close. Juudai decided to ask about it later. For now, his thoughts lingered on the way he felt when he'd heard the other speak his name. The sound of the other part of his soul finally finding him - his soulmate. He'd never thought for a moment that he'd meet someone like that, and yet here they were. Here he was.
This really wasn't how he'd expected his third year at Duel Academia to get started.
Johan wondered what bothered Juudai so much. He also kind of wished he'd been able to introduce himself, but the sensation that he'd met the other before had overwhelmed everything else. Plus when he'd thought about doing it, Hane Kuriboh and Ruby Carbuncle started fighting, and that had been even more of a distraction.
Anyway, he couldn't stay here any longer. Ruby Carbuncle trilled at him, and Johan nodded. "Well, if you know the way!" He suspected that Ruby just wanted to tussle with Hane Kuriboh again and that was fine with him. If Ruby could get him where he needed to go, then it didn't matter. So he hurried down the ladder and rushed off the way that he'd seen Juudai go. It wasn't that easy to follow, but he could see the big building, and guessed that was where they needed to go.
"Have you seen that guy Johan?" Juudai asked as Johan entered the auditorium, panting from how hard he'd been running. As soon as the word was uttered, Johan straightened up, eyes widening much as Juudai's had earlier. Now it all made sense, strange as it might seem.
I said his name - and he said my name. Stories abounded all over the world about the first time one heard one's soulmate say their name, and how one knew. There were multiple kinds of soulmates and the sensation was different for each one. He'd felt something similar when he'd heard the Gem Beasts first utter his name. They were the family of his heart and soul. But the way that Juudai said it - he'd never heard that before.
Juudai was his soulmate - and he was Juudai's. This was the surprise of the year. What could be stranger than this? Or better?
Yubel called Juudai's name a thousand times while they were in space, before that and after. Their voice cracked and broke and tears choked their throat when he didn't hear them. But they held on. They would be reunited with their love one day, and none would ever separate them in any way. Yubel wouldn't allow it. Nothing would allow it.
And now that glorious time had come. They stood before Juudai and that other one, the one who dared to pretend to be Juudai's soulmate. Whatever foul magic they'd used to cloud Juudai's eyes and ears would soon be dissipated. None could deceive Yubel or Juudai, when he came into his full power. Perhaps they would have to nudge that a little, but it wouldn't be that hard.
"Yubel!" Juudai called out their name and Yubel purred under their breath. To hear him say it again at last, it was almost as sweet as the first time had been, so many eons earlier.
"Yubel?" That came from the other one - and Yubel jerked, because they knew that sensation! That was the feeling of one's soulmate speaking their name for the first time! But Yubel knew their soulmate, and it wasn't this creature! This thief!
More twisted enchantments, then, Yubel decided. Once they'd cleansed it from Juudai, they would cleanse it from themselves, and then break this fool into the tiniest of pieces. Such insolence, such insults deserved nothing less.
When this creature dared to inflict identical damage to Yubel and himself, causing them both to lose the duel, then Yubel knew without a shadow of a doubt that there could only be one proper punishment. Juudai might be out of their reach for now, but if he truly believed this thief was his soulmate, then he would come for him.
As he had not come for them.
Was their false love even one bit as strong as the true love they and Juudai shared? What better way to find it out?
So they sank claws into the thief and pulled them both to the realm they'd claimed for their own, a place where none could find it without the proper door. He hung weak and exhausted in their arms, and Yubel planned for what was to come.
Juudai and Johan both snuggled under Yubel's wings. One hand rested on each of their shoulders. Juudai enjoyed nights like this, when the three of them didn't have to go anywhere or do anything that they didn't want to do. They'd graduated; they didn't even have homework to do, and Johan's work with the local branch of Industrial Illusions didn't have anything for him to do for a couple of days. So they could do whatever they wanted, and what they wanted was just to be together.
He glanced up at Yubel, then at Johan, noticing Johan looking at Yubel as well. He wasn't sure what the problem was - Johan looked worried? Concerned about something?
Oh. He thought he knew. He nudged Yubel. "Have you ever - you know?"
Yubel was his soulmate. Johan was his soulmate as well. During the final duel against Yubel, he'd learned that they shared that bond as well, but he couldn't remember Yubel having said Johan's name. Maybe they had when he wasn't around, but he didn't think so. Yubel might not call him 'thief' anymore, but they'd not called him by his name either.
Yubel's eyes shifted away from them both. That was the only answer that he needed. He nudged Yubel again. "You should, you know."
"They don't have to," Johan tried to protest. "I mean, we know. That's ok."
Juudai nudged again, this time on Johan. "But don't you want to hear it? It's the best feeling ever!" And he'd gotten to feel it twice. Was there anyone luckier than he was?
Yubel grumbled. "He's being too much of a pest. We're going to have to do something to calm him down." Yubel's attention flicked to Johan. "Aren't we, Johan?"
Juudai happened to be looking at Johan the moment that the name was spoken. Seeing those eyes widen and the way his breath caught in his throat - that was awesome! He grinned at the sight. "Was I wrong?"
Johan shook his head, then gently pushed Juudai, smiling. "No. But you knew that."
"And we know how to deal with you," Yubel added, shifting so that the two of them both stared directly at Juudai. Then together they spoke, two voices winding around one another and sending the most glorious of sensations through him.
"Juudai."
That shouldn't have been fair. But Juudai tilted his head back, letting the feeling flow through him, and whispered, "Do it again?"
But they didn't. Not for a long, long time. Juudai treasured it when they did - that which was common wasn't valued as highly, after all. And there wasn't anything he valued more than Yubel and Johan.
The End
Notes: I really did want to write something with Hell Kaiser but he wasn't clicking tonight. So I worked on this instead. I do like it; I could write ten thousand words of soulmates with these three. Another time!