Chapter 14

(Still no tentacles. I already decided I'm not gonna have that happen. Sorry to you, my loyal reader, if I disappoint you with this decision ^^''

To all of you still reading the new chapters when I post them: I hope you enjoy this one as well 😊)

14

14

14

14

"…ma… Yuma…". He heard the call only faintly, but shot up in the bed immediately, glancing around him to see if he could spot where it was coming from.

"YUMA!" it roared, now that he was aware of his surroundings again. It came from downstairs.

It was Kari. Rising quickly, Yuma opened the door slightly and called back. "Kari, I'm in my room!" he yelled.

"How the hell did you get up there without grandma seeing you?!" Kari asked loudly, and Yuma heard her coming up the stairs.

Worried suddenly, as he realized that he was still in ZEXAL form, he closed the door, just as she came around the corner of the hallways. Seconds later, she was banging on his door. "Yuma Tsukumo, what were you thinking not telling anyone you were in?! Do you realize how worried we've been, you idiot?!" she yelled.

"Sorry… I'm sorry Kari! I tried telling her I was home, I swear! But she didn't reply! I thought she might be out!" Yuma replied, and heard Kari sighing loudly.

"Open the door this instant, you little dweep!" she said, voice serious and clearly not up for taking no as an answer.

"I… I can't… Astral and I, we're… we're busy, right now" he replied, blushing fiercely as he knew how Kari would interpret that.

"Busy you say? For your sake, I sure hope it's with homework! Now, open this door or I'll kick it in!" she responded, banging on the door again.

Just then, Yuma felt ZEXAL breaking up, and startled he flipped around, looking at his bed as a blue mist formed over it, transforming into Astral before long.

The blue skinned alien was still transparent, but he didn't seem to be fading anymore, as he sat, head bent and hands in his lap, his school uniform in complete disarray, making him look just the amount of messy Yuma pictured Kari would expect to see, if they had indeed been doing what she seemed to think he had meant.

Yuma was about to speak, when Kari started slamming her shoulder against the door, clearly trying to do what she'd previously stated she would.

Quickly, Yuma turned back to it, unlocked it and then opened it, just in time for Kari to stop her next assault on it as she stalked into the room and crossed her arms over her chest.

As she saw Astral, her eyes widened, before she focused them on Yuma, effectively nailing him in place as they narrowed once more.

"So… Do I even WANT to know why the door was locked and what the two of you were just doing? You're still a kid dammit Yuma!" she complained. Yuma blushed fiercely, but met her eyes none the less.

"Legal age of consent is 13 Kari!" he replied, playing along with her idea about the current situation. At this, her eyes widened and she face-palmed herself, shaking her head hopelessly.

"I don't WANT to know" she then said, before changing the subject.

"Anyways, I assume you know what you're doing so… How did you get in here without Haru noticing?" she asked.

"I had to go to the bathroom really bad when I got home, so I must have run right past her" Yuma replied, having prepared this as a seemingly reasonable explanation.

"I did call out that I was home, though" he then added "I guess she just didn't hear me".

"Really?" Kari said, obviously not believing him. "And you didn't even think to check if she HAD actually heard you come in, once you were DONE in the bathroom?" she then asked. Yuma swallowed, then shook his head.

"No, I guess not… My stomach has been acting up all day, so I was really tired. I forgot. Sorry Kari" he replied and this time, after a few long moments, Kari sighed.

"Whatever Yuma" she answered "just don't do it again, alright? You're lucky Grandma is used to you not keeping your promises all the time any more, especially through the last year or so…

She just figured you'd spaced out and forgotten about it, so you'd be home later than what the two of you agreed on this morning. She went to buy groceries for dinner.

When I came home, she told me you weren't in yet, so I called Tori to tell you to get your sorry butt back here. She said you'd left as soon as school was out. I was worried, you know… You idiot. Think about the rest of us once in a while, will you?".

Her words stung, and Yuma groaned quietly as she uttered them, but once she silenced again, he nodded and bowed to her.

"I'm really sorry I worried you Kari… I'll remember to be louder next time" he replied, making Kari roll her eyes, before she ruffled up his hair and then went back to the door.

As she reached it, she turned around and looked at Astral. "Hey Astral" she said "are you feeling okay? You look more pale than usual" she asked.

Astral just nodded twice in answer and Kari frowned, though she didn't comment on it further.

"Right then… Dinner is in an hour. Don't be late!" she just said, before leaving the room and closing the door behind her as she did.

Once she was gone, Yuma let out a long sigh, feeling the tension that had risen in his body upon Karis arrival, leave him in a steady stream. Then he turned back around and looked at Astral.

"I'm sorry" was all he could say, as he stood, shivering, and waited for the others reaction.

"You… you pulled away from me. You… regret opening the door. You regret joining with me. You regret… us…" Astral finally said, after a few tense minutes, though he didn't look at Yuma.

Another stab of pain sent Yumas world reeling around him, and he had to lean on the wall to remain standing, as he moved a hand to his heart.

"No" he said, once he'd regained his composure somewhat again. "No, I don't" he replied.

"I mean, I did, I know, but it was only for a second! I regret nothing about you and me, nothing at all! I know that now!

Yes, I did briefly regret opening the door, letting you out, but it's only because of myself! Because

I'm so WEAK! You deserve better. You could find far better, if you wanted to!

The way both the boys and girls at school have been eyeing you since you started. It would be a cake walk for you to find someone else. Someone, stronger! Someone worthier!".

Tears came to his eyes once more as he said the last words, but he blinked them away forcefully, as he noticed that Astral almost instantly started moaning, before he tilted on to his side in the bed, back to the wall so he was still facing Yuma.

A hand was at his chest, the other was clutching the duvet beneath him tightly, his eyes closed.

Yuma, startled, stumbled over to the bed and knelt beside it, placing a hand on Astrals shoulder. "It was only for a second!" he then repeated, and quickly went on.

"I still think I'm too weak, we know that I am! We've seen it evidenced! But I understand now. I understand why you can't just up and find another. It is because of how we were, originally. We were one and the same.

But when we were split in two, because of your, no our, colossal clash with Don Thousand, each of us were left with some part of the original numbers being.

I know that I was reborn in this form, as a human, but I still carried my half of the powers, within me, although I didn't know that that was what they were, until we teamed up.

The powers of chaos! Of action! I act, recklessly sometimes, okay, most of the time, but still!

I am the half of you that burns most brightly, with a desire to live! To protect those for whom we care!

I am what gives you the will to keep living, no matter the challenges you, or I, or we, might face!

And I am the half of you that holds most strongly, our hearts' abilities to keep hoping!

I am the half of you that makes you capable of taking risks, of gambling! Of feeling, without it being logical in any way… I am the part of you that makes you capable of… loving.

And that's why I know now. I know why you can never find someone else. Because without me, doing any of these things would be a near impossible struggle for you!

Because, I am the only one in the whole universe, that can complete you".

Astral was silent. Yumas heart was pounding in his ears and he felt cold as ice, as though the room was frozen around him.

Then, out of no-where, Astral threw his arms around Yumas neck and pulled himself up until his mouth was right besides Yumas ear.

Then he whispered in a broken voice, shaking against him "don't ever… regret it… again… please… I can't bear it Yuma… I can't be torn in two… again…".

"I won't Astral" Yuma replied, voice thick with unshed tears "I might be weaker than what you need, but however selfish it is, I can never let you go. Not ever. And therefore, I can't regret unlocking that door!".

"Then… show me" Astral breathed and Yuma wasn't late to respond.

"Give me a moment" he said, kissed his partners neck, then rose and walked over to the door, locking it, before he returned to Astrals side.

Moving onto the bed beside him, he placed his arms around Astrals waist and pulled him up until he was sitting.

Then he started loosening his tie, removing his jacket and then his shirt, before he got to working on the aliens' pants.

Once he'd unzipped and unbuttoned them, he kissed the other passionately, and whilst their lips were locked, he maneuvered his lover into his lap, so he could slide the pants down over his legs and then drop them into the pile that consisted of the rest of the school-uniform.

Then he gently pushed him down in the bed, before finally releasing his lips so that they could breathe.

Astral was shivering and he was still terribly transparent, compared to what Yuma had gotten used to throughout the others time.

Anxiously, he asked "will you be alright? I… nearly lost you, out there…".

Astral swallowed. "I will live" he replied "but it was close… very close… I could feel myself being consumed by the energy within me… I was all but gone…".

Yumas breath hitched at this, and a few tears fell on Astrals pale skin.

So, he had been right then. The pain he'd felt, had indeed been Astral, dying. Leaving him again, though this time it had all been his fault.

"Your time… will it help you recover from this faster?" he asked, voice shaky.

Astral shook his head. "No… in this case, only one thing can… You" he replied.

"Tell me how" Yuma mumbled.

"Show me that you are being honest… Show me… that you understand" was the aliens' response and Yuma nodded faintly, then claimed his lips once more.

"I will. I promise…" he said to the other, across their bond.

It was faint, far weaker than it had been, and Yuma understood, that his actions across this evening, and into the night, would determine not only Astrals continued existence, but also the strength of their bond, going forward.

This night, would determine their future…