#trouvailleshipping

The old Impala finally parked in the driveway and Iris cut the engine, leaning back in her seat for a moment. Exhaustion had been setting in since the flight back to the city, and now had driven itself deep into her bones, muscles, heart. Her thumb and index finger massaged closed eyelids, trying to bid away the strain as well as a headache coming on.

If she didn't have a job to worry about going back to in the morning, she'd happily take a week long coma after all of that absolute nonsense. Tournaments and Dueling could be fun, she knew; there was a reason everyone kept coming back to the game. She enjoyed the game.

But having multiple people fall into comas because their minds got sent to some evil dark dimension that she was 90% sure was just the actual realms of hell, her father and the other old douchebags come back to try and kill her, her family's collective trauma thrown back into and her siblings face with the reveal they had another brother that was a complete shithead that had also wanted them dead, and then her brother blowing up the last remnants of the old KaibaCorp and making the others believe he was dead for a solid 60 seconds (she had it timed, she had kept looking at her watch because she knew he wouldn't) had been enough for her to not want anymore adventures for a while.

Logically, she should have just gone home. River and Flora had gone back with her Dad while Mokuba and Seto had flown out to a different branch of their company to start work on the new and improved Kaibaland, ready to make a real amusement park and not the indoor one. Their Mama was probably worried about them. Really, she could have gone back, had a quick dinner, cleansed herself of the bullshit with a shower and some work at her alter and gone to bed before going back to work the next day.

But. She also had clothes at Alister's house and it was closer. She just wanted to be held for a while. It felt like a better idea to go stay at her boyfriend's and just relax for the night because he understood more what being low energy meant for her.

She grabbed her bag out of the passenger's seat before she climbed out of the car. It was a small walk to the door, and she took note to see most of the lights were out. Alister said he was home, but he was probably upstairs or something, since his room was at the back half of the house. There was no way he was asleep -- he slept a max of about four hours and didn't start trying to sleep until at least midnight. He was probably reading or something.

She jammed her key into the door, twisting the lock and set her purse down on the console table. She busied herself with undoing the buckles on her boots before kicking them off and setting them by her work shoes still sitting there from her last overnight stay -- something that was becoming more and more frequent, really.

(Her mother wasn't entirely wrong with her comment about the two of them practically living together since they got together.)

Iris brushed her bangs back, turning to go towards the stairs only to stop as she realized there was a faint light at the end of the hall.

...To be honest, she sometimes forgot there was a proper dining room in the house. The windowed doors to it were always closed and they never bothered using it -- most of the time they ate in the breakfast nook in the kitchen or on the couch. But there it was, this soft glow of light that instantly screamed candles, accompanied by a scent of cinnamon, apple, cidar and pear as she got closer.

"Alister?" She called out, a brow arched in confusion as she neared.

He didn't respond. She walked closer, stepping into the doorway of the dining room to find him standing there finishing off lighting one more candle and setting it back on the table. He had been dressed in a dark blue sweater that cropped right above his abs, and a nicer pair of black jeans. He had even styled his hair to show off the layers he had -- something she only ever saw first thing in the morning, before he'd style it into the more boxy cut he had.

The table was set with nicer plates they never used and wine glasses, along with table runners and napkins she hadn't seen before ever. The two plates were topped with salmon, alfredo spooned perfectly, and bacon wrapped asparagus. There was enough space on the plate for the salad he had in a separate bowl, along with garlic bread he had on a cutting board. There was a platter with mint chocolate fudge for dessert and a vase with fresh red orchids.

His gaze softened as he looked up at her, hand going to set on the back of a chair. "Hey."

"Hey," she greeted, leaning against the doorway for support. She did a final sweep over the table before she met his gaze, taking a step forward. "What's all this for?"

"Well, contrary to what my brothers will tell you, I do, in fact, have a singular romantic bone in my body," he drawled playfully, a smirk tugging at his lips. "And I figured I should use it to give my girlfriend a nice night in with an attempt at a fancy dinner after what I'm gathering was a shitshow tournament."

She tucked her hair behind her ear, coming up to stand in front of him. "Everything that could go wrong in that tournament went nine more levels of wrong we didn't know were possible."

"Yeah, I had to try and fix the camera footage your brother wanted," he agreed. "I saw part of it. The whole thing was made up of...interesting choices on his part."

"That's one way to put it."

Iris relaxed a bit as she studied him. Most of the time, they did a lot of simple cooking and just enjoying each other's presence. They always put in the effort for each other, but this...this was nice.

She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. One arm looped around her waist while the other moved to cradle the back of her head, pulling her close to him.

It was funny. She had always felt comfortable around him. Ever since their friendship first started, it felt like she never had to put on the mask or keep a sizeable amount of distance she did with everyone. He was safe.

But the feeling of peace that washed over her, melting away the tension of the last few days, and the warmth that bloomed in her chest was the realization that once upon a time she would have laughed anyone out of the room if they told her she'd someday feel it -- or scare her deep to the core.

But now...

He pulled back slightly, her hands going to her cheeks as he kissed her softly. When they broke the kiss, their gazes met once more, a small air of comfortable silence falling over them.

His hands dropped after a moment as he reached for the chair. "Come on, let's--"

"I love you."

It fell quietly from her lips, but it was loud enough she couldn't make up some lie about it. She hadn't even meant to say it out loud, the words having played on a loop in her mind until her voice decided to just act on it.

Oh my God, what is wrong with you?! It's too early! It took you HOW LONG to start dating--

He stared at her in disbelief. She could have sworn she could see the gears turning in his mind, his cheeks faintly dusted pink.

Iris bit her lip, looking away as her arms dropped back to her side. "I...you don't have to say it back," she covered, feigning nonchalance. "I just--"

His fingers found her chin, gently guiding her to look at him again. His expression had cleared, pulling her back to him with his free hand at the small of her back. Her hands moved to his chest to steady herself at the sudden push, feeling his heartbeat quickening under her palms.

"I love you, too, Iris." His voice was soft and genuine. He wasn't just saying it to say it, even if he was probably just as nervous as her over it.

Her own cheeks flushed red, the rest of her mind practically cheering in victory. "...Ah."

He snorted, kissing her forehead. "I do," he promised her. "I just...didn't know when to tell you. So thanks for breaking that ice for me."

"Yeah, it's um...it's a little freaky to get that out there, I get that." She managed, clearing her throat.

"Terrifying, honestly."

"Even if that did seem only natural to say after we've been dating for a while now and are basically living with each other."

"And everyone in our lives thought we were dating only a week after we met."

"I'm pretty sure Rie in accounting has had our wedding planned since then, actually."

"Oh, she'll be happy then."

They watched each other for a moment before they both laughed, her head leaning against his shoulder. "Fuck, we're bad at this."

"Oh, the worst," he agreed. "I think that's why we love each other."

"One of a few reasons," she quipped. She leaned up after a moment, kissing him once more, this time with a bit more passion behind it. His hands drifted, keeping her held close to him.

They loved each other. They loved each other.

She never thought she'd see the day. Yet, now, rather than it being some world ending concept that she always imagined it was -- the idea of everything being stripped away from her and everything burning down in an inferno...it was just as natural as breathing. Being by his side made everything else feel right.

Once the kiss ended, he looked her over, debating something before he pulled the chair out for her. "Alright. Let's get some food in you," he said, softly. "After dinner, we're taking a bath and going to bed. How's that sound?"

@kohakuhime sent us the template she used for Raph and Ellie so obviously I have to do this too so to start us off; trouvailleshipping and futureshipping.

YuGiOh OC Ship Aesthetic

Prompt 16: Poetry.

I kinda had a few different ideas but ultimately came to this one for Trouvailleshipping! Hope you guys enjoy!

Car keys dropped into the bowl on the hallway console, boots toed kicked off haphazardly at the designated mat by the door and his bag fell to the floor with a thud. "I'm home." Was the exhausted call made, followed by the shuffling of sock covered feet and soon, Iris saw Alister shuffling in, dressed in a warm sweater and jeans, hair mussed from his helmet and a certain level of exhaustion in his eyes.

She opened her arms just in time as he practically flopped on top of her, head buried against her chest as his arms slowly wove around her.

"Rough day?" She guessed, setting the book she was reading aside. There was a muffled noise of confirmation and she brushed her fingers through his hair. He relaxed, practically melting into her touch. "Work stuff?"

"I wish," Alister scoffed. "My job's a lot less of a pain."

"Valon being a gremlin?"

"Your brother."

She didn't even need to ask which brother. She already knew damned well which one. "What did Seto did this time?"

He pushed himself up enough to look at her, caging his arms on either side of her. "I went to go drop off some things with your mom after work, because she asked if I wouldn't mind and, of course I don't, I love her dearly," he explained, brows furrowed in frustration. "I get there. Her writing club she started up is there, hence why she asked if I could drop off some food she ordered. And so is your brother, because he was watching your sister or something, and they want to stop and talk. Your mom told them about my Dad's journalism and his articles and they were praising his work and we got to talking about what their writing challenge was for this month, which was poetry, and they asked if I was interested in joining. I was trying to say no--"

"--And he trapped you into doing it by egging you on." She sighed.

"Your brother was so much more tolerable when I was actively planning his downfall."

Her hand moved to his cheek, shaking her head. There was always the route of them going to her mom and telling her; Meredith understood it better than anyone how her son was. Or, there was always the funnier route she liked to take of writing a prescription to her brother to eat a dick.

But Alister Gayle was one of the most stubborn men she knew.

"You want to prove him wrong, don't you?"

"Well, no shit," he scoffed, before sighing. "You know. I'm...trying to push past...everything involving Kaiba and focus on my new life. Our life. I swear to you, Iris, I am--"

"But he's Seto." He had yet to mellow out himself fully. Kat had been good for him in that sense; she was working on it with him. Frankly, she thought they'd do more good if they just confessed their feelings already, but life was still currently too complicated for that at the moment. "Trust me, you don't have to justify it to me. I grew up with him, remember?"

Alister fell quiet for a moment, leaning into her touch a bit more and pressing a kiss against her palm. "...The funny thing is, disregarding that...it might actually be fun."

"Have you ever written poetry before?" Iris asked, curiously.

"No. I came up with my own stories to pass the time with my friends, sure, but..." he said, and there's a flash in his eyes she's all too familiar with. "But. Most of it was fantasy stuff. And I haven't really done any of it since I was a kid."

She hummed in thought and her free arm stretched out towards the coffee table, hand fumbling for the remote. "Well. We're both off tomorrow and we can stay up," she mused, flicking back from the video she was on and going to the search bar on YouTube. "There's bound to be plenty of videos we can watch to get you some tips in."

He cocked a brow at her before he snorted in laughter. "We're gonna sneak in a cram session so I can write one little poem?"

"No, we're gonna cram it all night so you can write a poem that'd make Emily Dickinson eat her own paper and you can give my brother the proverbial middle finger and make moms friends sing your praises."

The competitive streak of hers used to be so much more subdued. It wasn't until after she woke up from her soul being snatched out of her body that it came out.

He gazed at and smirked after a moment, hand going to the back of her head as he gave her a kiss. "Have I mentioned I love you?"

"Mm, a few times today, but it's nice to hear," she quipped. She settled back against the couch, stretching her arms out. "For the record, I love you too. Now let's get started."

°°°

Around 1 in the morning, Alister was pretty sure he'd seen enough tips and beginners videos to give him a solid starting point.

Iris had passed out probably a half hour, 45 minutes top before he decided he'd had his fill. He shut off the television, rising to his feet as easily as he could without waking her, before he lifted her slumbering form into his arms. She let out a small grunt as she was shifted, but didn't seem to wake, instead burying her face into his chest.

He carried her up the stairs of their old house, silent as a mouse. He deposited her on her side of the bed, pulling the covers up over her and smoothed her hair out of her face. The thought to turn in and join her crossed his mind, but he was still far too awake to even try at the moment. He had held off with little sleep before, he could stay up a little later and it would be fine.

Ideas were swirling in his mind and, frankly, he didn't think there was much of an off switch.

Alister scooted the chair at the desk out, booting up the laptop and dimming the light down to keep from bothering the sleeping woman, but still light enough to not completely fuck up his eyes.

Fingers gently padded against the laptop as he sat back in thought. There was a thousand things he could write about. Nature, random objects, civilization. Most poetry seemed to come from a place of vulnerability, though, or at least some of the best ones did. That...made it a little trickier.

There were things he never could share. The horrors he went through were not something he could put to pen and paper and try to make something tragically beautiful out of it. Opening up old wounds, opening up the party of him that longed for better, was not something he could just unleash on the group that barely knew him, even if he wanted to. And his memories of happier times failed him; he barely remembered his father and what he remembered of his mother was plagued by war. He only knew of who they once were from stories from the family; it was all he had.

How could he write a poem about people he didn't truly know?

He could write about his chosen family. Raphaels strength, Masons fatherly instincts, Valons sheer determination and willpower. He could write about the joy they brought. But, then again, could he ever live it down that he wrote poetry about Valon? The humiliation would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Soft snoring filled the air and the shift of the mattress let him know she was tossing in her sleep.

He smiled, silver eyes glancing back to where his fiance slept.

If there was anyone in this world he knew inside and out, even more than any other member of that family, it was her. She had truly become more than he ever would have prepared himself for. She had started as a target, a means to an end, a person to take out if he had to. Then she became his friend. His best friend. Then a girlfriend, and he argued it was for the mission, to get closer to his goal...and then they were nothing but heartbreak.

Yet she waited for him. Patient, understanding and resilient; when he came back, she stayed and promised to help him through it all, without expecting anything else in return other than getting questions answered. She gave him space, but, most importantly, she gave him a safe place. When things got bad, she was there, finding ways to help him where she could and tried her hardest to understand.

He loved her and she loved him, and finally, finally, he could let himself feel...well, feel anything other than just pain or numbness.

Turning back to the computer, his fingers stilled above the keys for a moment before his thoughts poured out onto the page.

"You didn't care that I was broken glass that could shred you open,

And you didn't curse my name when you had every right to.

Instead, you picked up the pieces and helped slowly put it back together.

I carried a life time of war,

And when you opened your arms for me,

I finally came home from a once neverending battlefield."

Maybe it was corny. No, okay, it was the sappiest thing he'd ever written and he wasn't sure how he even managed it. But, he read it, over and over again, mouthing it along before he sat back once more.

Maybe it should be corny.

He closed the laptop, giving a nod to himself. He could edit it later. But, for now, it would do.

The best poems came from the heart, after all.

Iris draws her next card; Cyber Angel Izana. It's the ace in the hole in this match. She could sacrifice her Benten on the field and her Bountiful Artemis in her hand for a ritual summon. She could attack twice, getting rid of the two tokens on Alisters side of the field, while Idaten and Vrash took out the Sky Fortress Ziggurat and what was left of his life points.

She can end this here and now, and save herself.

He'd lose his soul. He wouldn't be able to march down the path she sees ahead of him; the self destruction, the willingness to do whatever it took to take out her brother, simply for his last name and his relation to one of the biggest monsters to the world had ever known. Maybe it would be a mercy to keep him from hurting himself, because it wouldn't give him the vengeance he so desperately wants, because the people he wants it against are gone and she made damned sure of that. It would keep them safe.

Yet she hesitates. Her hand won't move to play the Machine Angel Ritual she has; it trembles but will not budge. Her voice betrays her, catching in her throat and silencing her from calling out her play.

Her gaze locks onto him. The red burning in his silver eyes -- the ones that used to soften just looking at her, even if only for moments alone -- cut her deep in her soul. He stands tall and at his full height, unflinching and unwavering. He crosses his arms over his chest, the scowl never leaving. He's put on his mask -- if it's really a mask, if any part of the man she knew was even real -- and he won't budge.

She thinks of their times together; the hangouts at the bookstore, driving to their spot just outside of town and enjoying the quiet, the weekend get away to the cabin, them, just them. She thinks of the way his hand felt in hers, the warmth of being tangled up in his sheets on a rainy night and refusing to move, how his presence kept her calm, and his snarky attitude always brought a smile to her lips.

He's still the man she loves, even after all this. He's still the father of the baby she loved and lost.

Her heart aches.

The memories of the Big 5 flash through her mind, the determination to stop them and keep them from ever hurting her family again. They all went to great lengths to keep it happen, but the feeling of rage she felt as she bashed the computer to pieces after they escaped Noa's world, or telling the doctors there was no quality of life and to pull the plugs on them after the VR incident doesn't escape her.

She's had enough blood on her hands.

Iris is exhausted.

"Well? Come on," Alister snaps, his voice detached and cold. "We don't have all night, Iris. Make your move."

She can't.

Iris let's out a shaky breath, closing the cards up in her hand. Her gaze doesn't break from his. "I may not be able to save you from yourself, Alister," she says slowly, fighting hard to keep her voice even. "But I won't be the one to destroy you, either."

"What--"

Her hand finally moved and it hits the top of the Duel Disk without hesitation.

In order:

Addilyn "Addi" Kaiba (futureshipping; Kat/Seto).

Kairi Mutou (peachshipping).

Micah and Salem Gayle (trouvailleshipping; Alister/Iris).

Their first official night in their new home was spent in the little secret hiding place it offered.

The house had been quite literally a steal. An older, more eclectic house in a new neighborhood, the owner didn't want it to be torn down and basically had the deed up for grabs for anyone that truly wanted it after his passing. There were some fees here and there and of course utilities, but it seemed like their house was meant to be theirs, having waited all that time for them.

It was a cozy four bedroom with a simple fireplace in the living room, a more open concept on the first floor and a second floor that had a hallway lined with bookshelves. Alister had discovered on his tour of the house a little secret entrance by pulling at the end of one of the shelves out to be a door, and a spiral staircase took them up to a hidden alcove in the attic, one with a window seat to act as a reading nook and hooks to hang up the fairy lights they installed in as one of their last jobs of the day in getting moved in.

Most of the big furniture was settled in, leaving just the need to add decoration and clutter, along with putting all their clothes away and out of boxes, with the same also going for their kitchenware; which, was a big part in why they ordered take out that night.

They originally thought to turn in for the night in their proper bed and cuddle for the rest of the evening, but Alister had a better idea. They'd put a mattress and a projector screen in the alcove, perfect for a small movie night to settle in.

Huddled under weighted blankets with the fairy lights glimmering in the night and candles lit to give a calming lavender scent to the room, they curled up together, empty Chinese food containers tossed into a bad to be taken out come morning. Alister laid nestled back on a line of pillows, holding Iris close as she laid her head on his chest, his thumb rubbing soothing circles into her arms while they watched old black and white movies. His other hand found hers, thumb brushing against the band of the engagement ring on her finger.

It was a weird feeling of peace that washed over him in the moment. Alister never once thought he'd experience something like this, not when his life had been a constant state of turmoil and warfare. He had been consumed by grief and vengeance, only focused on getting justice for the death of his little brother, with whatever happening to him in the process be damned. He simply didn't believe he was ever allowed to feel happy or settled after all of his trauma.

Iris had almost been enough to help him break away from it, but he lost the heart to change at the last second of their Duel, knowing his brother needed him to stay focused on his duty. Kaiba had given him the change of heart he needed and the truth about his former master had been enough for him to start letting the dead rest.

Iris letting him back into her life with open arms had been part of a catalyst to help him heal and change.

She herself was no stranger to heart ache and devastation in her life, even before he has done something he still struggled to forgive himself for. Her birth father had caused so much strife within her that she was still working towards healing from and it hurt his heart now a days to fully understand what Iris had been through.

Neither of them ever thought they deserved the right to be happy, to put their guards back down and simply be.

But here, now, in the quiet of the alcove, it was everything to them.

"You're staring," Alister heard her mutter, looking down to see her eyes already fluttered closed as she snuggled up more to him. "There's a movie we should be watching."

He snorted, his other hand drifting up to meet his left one on her arm. "Says the girl falling asleep."

"That's why I said should be."

"Mhm. Sure."

Iris shook her head playfully, before she let out a yawn. "By all accounts, we should head downstairs for our actual bed."

"We should," he agreed, though he looked back down at her after a moment of thought. "But I'm just fine where I'm at and you look too tired to move.:

"That I am," she mused tiredly, fingers lightly gripping his shirt. "And moving now would be putting a perfectly good mattress and movie marathon to waste."

"That it would."

Alister softened as he stared down at his fiancee in his arms, before kissing the top of her head. "Guess that only leaves the option to sleep up here, then."

She yawned again, letting out a tiny grunt of approval. "Guess so. Not that I'm complaining."

He smiled, hand raising up to brush stray hairs out of her face. "Neither am I."

He honestly had nothing to complain about.

Heheehehehe yes ohmygod thank you for this!!

2. Any sleep habits either had to get used to?

Alister has to get used to her snoring. Iris does tend to snore and he initially just wanted to smother her but it eventually becomes a thing of like. Alright I hear her snoring. She's right here everything's fine. He's more worried if he doesn't hear it after a certain point.

Iris also adjusted to becoming a light sleeper. She knows that episodes can happen with Alister after he falls asleep and she'll wake up if there's that sudden jerk in their sleep, and wake up to check on him.

They both also just have to get used to sharing a bed with another person as well!

9. How are their personalities different?

God I sit here and I realize how similar they are. Like. Damn.

I feel like Iris has better bedside manner when someone's sick just from being a nurse whereas Alister has the training but he can be like way more firm than her at times.

Alister is a skilled pilot and jumps out of planes on his motorcycle. I think he probably actually likes flying and heights. Iris is terrified of them.

Iris is more extroverted than most people give her credit for. She has to be with her field of work, but, even with her trust issues, if she can like reach out and make a connection she enjoys it.

Alister is more tactical in his thinking and he's far more a quick thinker.

While I would say there is in fact petty bones in Iris, Alister really is the petty one. Iris is more the one that will look at how you've hurt her and spit in your face and tell you to go fuck yourself. Or just slug you. Her hands were meant for more than just healing.

Alisters far more likely to hate read a book than Iris will. Iris is also the one that's more likely to get into very passionate debates and essays on books she reads.

32. How do they resolve their arguments?

It depends on the argument. Small, playful arguments usually don't need much of getting resolved, they just brush it off.