anya solis-lunaire

Bakura hadn't wanted to attend the play in the first place. Marik had dragged him along, insisting that it'll be "fun" despite Bakura's many protests. It was then that he first laid eyes on the girl, who was leagues above everyone in this silly play. It was clear she was dedicated to her craft, and dedicated to her form when she moved. There was a grace to her that other humans just tended to lack. She was the only person he noticed the entire play, which made it annoying when Marik asked him what he thought of the play just outside of the theater. "It was a bore," Bakura snapped, glaring at him. "Why'd you have to drag me to something so dull?"

"Because we're going to a party with the actors of that play," Marik replied, looking annoyed about something. Bakura wasn't sure why Marik kept dragging him along to these type of events, but it was exhausting. Sometimes Bakura wished that he could still sleep. "I figured that it would be nice for us to have seen their work. Are you going to be a crab the entire time?"

"No, I'll be annoyed."

"You know what I mean." Marik had now turned to face him. Despite the fact they were both vampires, there was one major difference between the two of them: Marik had been born one. As a result, Bakura could hear the thrum of Marik's heart in his chest. It wasn't like a human's heartbeat; Bakura could tell the difference between a human and a vampire's heart from miles away. "Can you at least try to have fun at this party?"

And at the time, Bakura had truly intended to not have any fun at the party. Except for the fact that she was there, and her heartbeat cut clear through the crowd. Her eyes were wide, clear, and bluer than anything Bakura had ever seen before. And all at once, it felt like he was being dragged across the dance floor to her as if she had a gravitational pull. He was on a collision course, unable to pull his gaze away from hers as he made his way across the room to her. She held her hand out to him, and Bakura leaned over to brush his lips against the back of her hand. "Bakura," he said by way of introduction. "And you are?"

She stared at him, and for the first time in ages it felt like his long dead heart might start beating again. He was a lost ship at sea, and her eyes cut clear through him, pulling him into the depths. For a moment, it felt like everyone else in the room had melted away and it was just the two of them standing still in this moment. When she blinked, it gave Bakura a chance to regather his wits. "Mazaki," she said softly, and her voice was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. Her heartbeat was steady, a drum that would haunt him for all his days. "Anzu."

There was a scowl on her face, as if something was bothering her that he wasn't grasping. Perhaps it was some petty human thing or... whatever it was, Bakura swore he wouldn't care. He would put aside, and wouldn't think at all about what the changes in her face meant. Each subtle movement enraptured him despite himself. "I see," Bakura said, brushing it off. "Well, Miss Mazaki... may I take you away from this party and all the people you clearly have disdain for?" Anzu hesitated. Bakura could see it in her eyes: the tension between what was proper by human standards and what she truly wanted to do. For a moment, he thought she might tell him to fuck off as politely as she could. He glanced around them, and saw nothing but wine-drunk humans who hadn't glanced this way. "If it helps, I don't think anyone is watching us. You could make a grand escape with me."

Her hand had never left his, but now her grip tightened. Anzu gave a slight nod before she smirked at him. "Then take me away, pretty boy."

Bakura honestly hadn't been expecting that, and he swore it felt like an arrow had been shot through him. He was almost angry for it: how dare a silly human make him feel like this? He shook it off again, leading her away from the party. As he did, Anzu's slight stumbles gave way to the fact she might've had a little bit too much to drink too. Just like a human at all these parties, and he scolded himself internally for daring to think she'd be any different from any other human. It was fun toying with her at least. He'd been so sure that she was different. In the empty room he'd led her to, only the moonlight seeped in. The music from the party was loud enough that it boomed around them. "Shall we dance?"

Anzu grinned as she pulled him to her, and the look in her eyes was familiar enough to know he'd have no trouble getting close enough to taste. "I thought you'd never ask." To his surprise, she took the lead. Even in this drunken state, the grace she had on stage was brought to this slow dance between the two of them. Admittedly, Bakura had never bothered to learn to dance formally. It was clear that he was out of his depth, and Anzu was smirking at him again. "Why, pretty boy... have you never danced before?"

If he had been human, perhaps he might have blushed. As it stood, he felt the embarrassment but none of the associated physical reactions. He knew how it was supposed to feel from books and plays, but all traces of his previous attachments to humanity were gone. It almost mocked him as her heart seemed to grow louder, thumping in time with the music that surrounded them. He could feel the warmth radiating off her, and the blood that pumps through her veins. He could smell her, a sweet peach scent that lingered all over him. "I'm not much of a dancer," he admitted. "But for a pretty girl like you... I'll certainly try."

She laughed, spinning them around. Her heels clicked on the floor underneath them, and Bakura's hand dug into her hip as he pulled her closer. The air was thick with something that he couldn't quite pin down... an emotion that he'd never felt before and had no name for. Thud, thud, thud went her heart, beating to the point that it was driving him almost insane. The lush bouquet her blood offered was overwhelming, and he was growing unable to resist. "Is something wrong?"

Her question snapped him back to reality, and his head spun as he finally got a glimpse into her eyes again. They were so clear and bright, like being stranded in the middle of the ocean in the daylight. He hadn't known daylight in so long. "What would you say if I said vampires are real?"

"I'd say I'm not like the superstitious locals," Anzu replied with a laugh, and for the first time, he noted the slurring in her words. She was spinning them around, and her movements had gotten less graceful. The more they danced, the more it was obvious that Anzu was not thinking clearly at all. He wondered if she would've left the party with him if she'd been sober. It almost made him feel guilty... but only almost. "They might have their silly rumours, but it's 1932. Of course vampires aren't real. Sure, I loved reading Dracula and Nosferatu was a good fright but that's all it is. Just silly horror stories. Really, if they want a good fright, they should read the news."

She'd lost him. Bakura hadn't really kept up with the news all too much, and he didn't care to. Human politics were nothing to him with how long he would live. The push and pull was meaningless in the long run. So instead he flashed his teeth at her, his fangs glinting in the moonlight. "Are we sure that vampires aren't real, Miss Mazaki," he asked, his nails digging into her and holding her against him. Her heart began to race faster, drowning out the music entirely for the first time. "What if you'd made a very foolish drunken mistake, Miss Mazaki? What if you found yourself in your very own horror story?"

The only thing Bakura could hear was Anzu's racing heart and the blood pumping in her veins, and he was so desperate for a taste. Despite himself, he didn't lean in for a taste just yet. For some reason, he held off. "If this is a horror story, then why haven't you killed me already?" Despite the terror in her voice, her eyes were no longer like the ocean. No, she'd steeled her eyes; it was a look of defiance, as if she was daring him to do it. "I don't think you could do it, could you? If you were the monster like those stories... you wouldn't have asked for permission."

How did Anzu do that? She'd cut through him, and he had no counter. "You know I want to bite you," he countered, and they'd stopped spinning around. Instead, they stood in the middle of the room together. "And yet you've made no attempts to run. Why?"

"I'm certain that between the heels and alcohol, I wouldn't be able to outrun you if I tried," Anzu said, and there was a refreshing honesty to her that finally gave way to guilt. For the first time in centuries, Bakura felt guilty about the way he needed to eat. It'd been a defence, one that he'd relied so heavily on. If he stopped to consider what it meant to drink a human's blood, then he'd never stop thinking about all the blood on his hands. "So go on then. Bite me. If you're not a coward, Bakura."

A challenge. He leaned in, his teeth tearing into the soft flesh of her neck. She gasped, and he was thrown by the low moan as her back arched to him. There was the usual taste of fear... and an emotion he'd never tasted before. He almost swore it tasted like pleasure. There was the taste of the hors d'oeuvres, and the bitter taste of alcohol that undercurrent everything. Bakura couldn't help himself: he moaned over the taste of her. Her hands gripped at his arms, and distractedly, her hips were pressed to his. The loud thrum of her heartbeat kept going despite everything, a kick drum that continued to hammer into his head. Her warmth spread to him, captivating him the way no other human had.

It seems he'd been right the first time: Anzu was not like any other human he'd ever drank from. The way she moaned, her nails digging into his biceps was distracting him. He kept expecting there to be a point where her strength waned, but it seemed like something was keeping her grounded in this moment. Her hips were firm against his, dragging him to a knife's edge. And suddenly he couldn't bring himself to kill her like he'd planned. He wanted to drink from her again, to taste the desire and fear that ran through her veins. When his lips pulled away from her neck, there was a haze in her eyes that he liked. Anzu stumbled backwards when he finally let her go, and her eyes felt like they were branding him. "Why'd you stop?"

The question hung in the air, and Bakura couldn't begin to explain himself. So instead of answering, he left her there on the ground. And there, Anzu would spend hours thinking about him with only one clear understanding of what had just happened: she needed to see him again.

Anzu had never believed in the supernatural before. She was a rational woman, but it was impossible to downplay the encounter with Bakura as a simple trick of her drunken mind. Even if she wanted to write it off, the marks in her neck made it impossible to pretend otherwise. She replayed the encounter repeatedly, rewinding and living inside a memory that felt like it would flutter away. There was an ache in her, desperate for the chance to gaze deep into those eyes of his again... and strangely enough, she could not recall for sure what color his eyes were anymore.

It was annoying to not be sure of the details, and she cursed the amount she'd had to drink. Anzu really had no choice but to continue back to work like nothing had happened, like her entire world hadn't been shifted. Bills still needed to be paid, and she still wanted her career to go somewhere. It's just that everything felt so small in the wake of the realization that the world was so much bigger than she could've ever thought. Bakura had promised an impossible world, and Anzu was desperate to know more. As she made her way through her day, she couldn't have imagined that Bakura was having the same crisis that she was.

He'd snaked around the shadows for another glimpse of her, desperate to avoid the light of the morning sun that Marik could move through with ease. He never thought he'd miss the sun, but now he ached for the ability to pass through the daylight without the fear of death. Anzu glanced over her shoulder as he hid in the shadows, and the way the sun hit her eyes cut a clear path across the street to him. He wanted so badly to be able to walk across the street to her, to pull her into his arms, and hold her tight to him. She didn't seem to notice him, and she continued about her day as if he wasn't there. It was entirely by his own design, and for once Bakura wished that he wasn't so invisible in the day.

Bakura couldn't even say that was the only time such a thing would happen. He found himself orbiting her, searching for a reason to see her again. All this kept happening until Marik finally had enough of this. "You've been out of your mind over that girl for weeks," he accused, glaring at Bakura from across the table. The Ishtar mansion was dark for Bakura's sake, and Bakura knew if he wasn't here, Marik would have every single window bursting with light. The low light made Marik testier than he should be. "Would you just go with me to another one of her performances and talk to her?"

There was a goblet of blood in Marik's hand, and he spun it around. The scent was arguably a little repulsive to Bakura - blood always tastes better when fresh from a human. But Isis had this thing against harming humans, so it was typical of them to have a few volunteers on hand to provide blood. "I'm not going to do that," Bakura said, rolling his eyes. "I drank her blood. Do you think a normal human is going to be okay with that?"

"She's an actress," Marik said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "That's not a normal human. Fine, are you going to at least feed soon?"

It was true that Bakura hadn't fed in a while. He knew it wasn't good for him, but none of the humans had the same appeal as Anzu did. He knew he'd have to eventually feed, but all he wanted was to taste her again. He wondered how her blood would taste when she was sober, if it would still carry the same feelings... what a new meal on her would taste like. Her perfume lingered, something that he could never truly forget - something like the forbidden fruit Eve had bitten into. Was that what she was to him? He'd thought he'd never be this into someone, and now he's desperately wondering how he could see her again. "Of course," Bakura said stiffly, glaring at nothing in particular. The ability to see in low lights was useful, perhaps something to do with the nature of being a predator that only existed in the night. He could see the old cabinets that contained artifacts from centuries ago - how the Ishtar fortune was obtained. Keep anything long enough, and eventually it becomes valuable to someone. "I simply just haven't needed to feed recently."

It was an audacious claim to make to the very man who had turned him. Marik knew more about how vampire biology worked than anyone, and it was why he glowered at him. "Don't be ridiculous, Bakura," he said with a snort. "You're due for a feeding soon. The last time you fed was what, a week ago at that party on that girl?"

"Anzu," Bakura snapped before he could stop himself. His impulse control kept waning the longer he was alive. He suspected that at one point he might have kept something like that to himself, but he certainly couldn't recall it anymore. If he had blood in his veins, he might have blushed. But as it'd been too long since he'd fed, there was nothing to provide that reaction. One perk of starving, Bakura supposed. "You know her name is Anzu, I mean. It was you who was raving about her performance in all those plays you keep insisting are magical."

Marik's lips curled into a smirk, and Bakura knew that he'd been just a little too obvious. "I see," Marik remarked as he finished off his goblet. "In that case, I suppose you would not mind attending a new play with me, then?"

Of course it was another play that Anzu was in. If Bakura didn't know better, he would have thought that Marik was having a laugh at Bakura's expense. He had no doubt the real reason that Marik had dragged him to this play was because he was interested in it. He probably saw some flier somewhere and thought it looked good. For Bakura, however, this felt like a personal jab to emphasize that he was utterly obsessed with this one human. It was irritating that hundreds of years of living, and some girl is the one to catch his attention like this. And yet seeing her on the stage? She was dazzling. None of the other humans on the stage could compare. She was effortless in her movements, and captivating in her beauty.

It was what had him applauding her performance, and it pleased him to see that others could see her obvious talent. The crowd gave her the standing ovation she deserved. Marik was snickering about something, but Bakura couldn't find it in him to bother asking what could have possibly been so funny. Regardless, he found himself backstage after the show in front of Anzu's dressing room with a rushed purchased bouquet of flowers. He wasn't sure what possessed him to use intermission to rush to the nearest open flower shop to purchase a bouquet—that wasn't like him at all. And yet something about Anzu had gripped him. She'd cut clean through him, and something about him felt marked by her.

Strange, considering how rarely vampires change. Really, Bakura wasn't supposed to be capable of change at all. According to Rishid, Bakura had become set in his ways the moment he'd been turned. He was supposed to always be the way he was, but Anzu had shifted something fundamental about him. Why else would he have bought her fucking flowers? Why else would he be outside her door, desperately hoping that she wanted to see him again? It was humiliating.

The door swung open, and there she was—vibrant, radiant, and smiling at him like he was the best thing that ever happened to her. If he still needed to breathe, he might've thought she would've knocked the wind out of him. Her eyes were wide, and they were so much like glass that Bakura thought he could see himself reflected in them. As if there was something she was seeking from him. Anzu grabbed him by the collar, pulling him into her dressing room. Her lips crashed onto his, and Bakura was taken aback. He couldn't recall the last time he'd been kissed. Had he ever been kissed? He wasn't sure. Either way, his hands came to rest at her hips, eagerly matching her movements. When she pulled away, she finally noticed the flowers. "Oh," she said. "You brought me flowers."

Bakura was grateful he couldn't flush, because it was already pretty embarrassing to have to nod and go, "Yeah."

He shoved the flowers into her hands, and Anzu glanced at them. She stared at them for an uncomfortably long time, and for a moment, Bakura thought that he might've done something wrong. Finally she set the flowers on her dressing table. "I wasn't expecting you to get me flowers," she admitted. "I didn't think that you were that type of guy." It was a statement that didn't invite any argument. Another cutting remark that showed that Anzu saw him on a level that Bakura didn't like. It was as if he was made of cellophane. Bakura's lips curled into a snarl, showing off his teeth. Anzu's breath hitched, and she reached out to press her index finger to the tip. This movement made Bakura pull back, stunned by her bravery... or perhaps her downright stupidity. "Would you... sorry, I don't know how to phrase this."

"Would I what," Bakura asked, his eyes tracing out the shape of her neck. Where he'd last bitten her was fully faded, as if he'd never been there. "Surely you can't be asking for me to bite you again."

Anzu glanced away, a flush appearing across her cheeks. "I... that's exactly what I'm asking." She finally met his gaze again, firm, far too confident as she moved forward. "I liked it. I liked the way it felt. It felt... so damn good. I want you to do it again."

She didn't need to beg. Bakura had her pinned against the wall in seconds, his hands firm on her biceps as his teeth sank into her collarbone this time. There was the taste of her again—exactly what he'd been needing, exactly what he'd been denying himself. The taste of her performance was there, but there was something else. The same taste of lust just underneath everything, between the nicotine of the cigarette she must've had and some sort of sweet peach taste. An undercurrent of mint—absolutely divine. Bakura's head spun as he drunk from her, unable to believe that someone like her existed. And as he drunk from her, both of them came to the exact same realization.

Jack was so much smarter than anyone ever gave him credit for. It was the first thing that Divine had noticed about him, asides from the obvious good looks. She wasn't the type to care about pro Duelists, but there was something special about Jack Atlas. Anyone could see it. But she wasn't the type to let herself fall in love with a pretty face just because he had a sharp tongue. And yet even at first glance, Divine knew she just had to have Jack. She never was the first to approach, and so the first interaction was nothing more than stolen glances across a dance floor. The more she noticed he was staring, the more she knew that she had a way in.

Divine might not have realized it at the time, but Jack could see the interest in her eyes. At the time, he'd brushed off because of course she was interested - who wasn't? Jack Atlas was the best at the game, and the absolute life of the party. He was the reason anyone was even here, regardless of what Rex tried to tell him. As much as he tried to brush off her glances, those green eyes haunted him. By the end of the night, Jack felt as if Divine's gaze was permanently etched into his very being. She was wrapped up in his dreams, and Jack thought he was going insane.

When he finally saw her again, Jack brushed off the crowd to make his way to her. His hand brushed hers, and Divine glanced up at him. Her stare pierced right through his heart, and for a moment, he wondered if she'd forever changed him. Her lips curled into a smirk, a brow arching up at him. "To what do I owe the honor of having the King himself grace me with his presence," she asked, and Jack didn't have an explanation for himself. "Perhaps you could tell me over a drink?"

She'd fully taken his hand in hers, and Jack got the feeling he was not entirely in control anymore. Normally this would be intolerable to him, but the glint in her eye promised it would be worth his while. "You know a King doesn't take orders," Jack said automatically, more so due the publicity of this encounter. This was who he was in the public eye, and he certainly wasn't ready to give it up. "But a drink would be nice."

Divine led him away, and Jack was willing to let himself fall into her. By the end of the night, he found himself at her flat tangled up in sheets. A careless mistake on his part that left him unable to let her go. Something about her touch had radically shifted him, and it was now intolerable to think of life without her. It chased him around as he attempted to go through life in the morning wake. Jack had left as soon as he'd awoken, and he'd regretted it ever since.

Jack had been certain he'd blown it the minute he'd walked out. Divine, for her part, was not the type to allow herself to get hung up on someone like this. Despite their best attempts, however, neither could really set it aside. When she'd finally crashed back into him, it was a second chance that neither thought they'd get. And like before, her gaze pierced right through him. "I'm sorry I didn't call," Jack said, and Divine was taken aback. After all, it was public knowledge that Jack never apologized. "If you would give me another chance..."

Another chance was what Divine craved, and so how could she deny it to him? She nodded, holding her hand out to his. "Of course," she said as he took her hand in his. "I... It'd be nice if we all got a second chance, wouldn't it?"

Phantom pains continued to plague Link from injuries he didn't always recall getting - as if it radiated from things that could have been that never happened. The scars that were real were almost grounding in that way, where he could see some injury that should have been there. Link would wake up from dreams of realities that seemed to twist around him, shattering like glass in front of him. He'd jolt awake from a nightmare of Ganon's laughter as a beast to Zelda laying next to him, grounding him yet again. Link wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he buried his face into her neck. It was easy to fall back asleep with her this close to him, a reminder of everything he'd ever fought for. She'd been there when he was running through Hyrule, trying to set the world straight. The world had ended, but he still stood here. They were still here.

For Zelda, the dreams felt like echoes. She'd had prophetic dreams since she was a child, and she didn't always understand them In some ways, the mistakes she made in on version of reality were completely gone through her eyes. Zelda, however, didn't live it the same way Link had. In some ways, she felt the phantom pains worse than him. She had no explanation for them save for vague dreams that often left her with more questions than answers. What mistakes had she made? Zelda didn't know, and Link evading answering the question. All she knew was that sometimes, looking at Impa filled her with an unexplained sorrow. As if there was a series of mistakes that she couldn't quite remember. All she knew was that when she laid next to Link in their shared bed, it felt like nothing could possibly touch them.

Every time Zelda rested her head on Link's chest, she entered a dreamless sleep. One that could actually allow her to rest her weary bones, and give her respite from the long work days. When she awoke in the morning, the sun was streaming in and Link was still under her for once. Most days he was awake before dawn to train, but on days like this, it was clear that he'd been staving off sleep for far too long. She traced her fingers along the scars on his chest, frowning at the fresh ones. He'd been pushing himself too hard again; he always did. There wasn't much Zelda could do about that. She'd done her best to assure him that he didn't need to push himself the way he did, but each time it was like he knew something she didn't.

Whatever Link knew honestly scared Zelda a little bit, to the point where she avoided asking any question. She didn't want to know, but she did want to at least keep him grounded here. As far as they were concerned, the biggest threat to their safety and happiness was eliminated. At least... as far as Zelda knew. Sometimes she considered the Goddesses, and wondered what the actual end game had been. It'd been too easy, she knew. Getting Ganon imprisoned and that was the end of it? No, something had to be on the horizon. Something that Link knew and wasn't telling her. But he smirked at her, brushing her hair out of her face and she found it difficult to care about anything that needed a divination table to figure out. He pulled her closer to him, and Zelda fell into him.

Up here, they were safe from any prying eyes. Zelda didn't have to think about what the Goddesses had planned for them, and Link didn't have to think about the horrors he'd witnessed far too young. Link had seen the world come crashing to an end, and he didn't want to talk about it. He just wanted to be here in the moment with her. Every single night, she grounded him. She reminded him that they were right here, right now, and he didn't have to push himself anymore. Her gaze was piercing through him, right through the kink in his armor. Link shattered under her, and was rebuilt stronger for it. Just how did she always manage to do that? He didn't know, and he didn't care. He kissed her, the night starting to fall.

Morning or night, she was there. Just like she'd always been, even when she'd hide away under a disguise. There was a loyalty between them, an unspoken bond of trust. Only Link knew just how deep it ran, but Zelda had an idea of it. She knew that she'd do anything to keep him safe, even if she wasn't aware of just how far she'd go to do so. The chill of the air sank in, and the blankets were pulled around them. History couldn't touch them, and whatever was to come didn't matter. All that mattered was her touch felt like a healing balm to his very soul, as if she could reach the parts of him that had been torn asunder.

Link gasped as her lips found his neck, pressing kisses that felt like he was being made new. Under her gaze, it was like nothing had ever had happened to them. Up here, they were brand new to each other. They explored each other as if it was all new, every single time. Zelda would chide him for new scars, but she would kiss them all the same as if she could remove them. And some nights, Link thought that she might be able to. It was like the world didn't matter when it was just the two of them.

Up in their bedroom, they could simply be two people who were world weary, and just too tired to talk about any of it. The ache in Zelda vanished when Link's hand was over hers, and the void that lingered in Link was filled by her touch upon his cheek. She pulled him in for a kiss, and there was no divinity to be found here tangled up in these sheets.

Jack had long since given up on the idea of love. She'd been so certain that she'd left her heart behind in Satellite, and there was no way of getting it back. At least, until Divine had entered the picture. Rex clearly had not considered Divine a threat when he'd introduced him to Jack. Except he was. The minute Divine and Jack locked eyes, Jack's heart felt like it started beating again for the first time in a year.

It was why she'd snuck out to meet with Divine at the Arcadia Tower, and it was why she was in Divine's room right now. Any touch she could get felt like it was exactly what she needed, and it made her head spin. Christmas Day, and where was she? With her legs spread wide for Divine's pleasure. Really, it wasn't her fault that she wound up here. It'd only take a couple of kind words, a couple of reminders that she was worth some attention, and she felt alive again. Did she really need to explain herself? If Rex had put any effort in, maybe she wouldn't have been seduced away like this.

Each touch felt like it set her skin ablaze, and Jack couldn't recall why she'd ever bothered trying to be a good girl in the first place. Well, Divine would disagree with her own assessment. "Good girl," he purred in her ear as his fingers traced out hearts around her clit. Jack's eyes were hazed as he slowly pressed two fingers into her, and she whined over the teasing. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."

She didn't have a single doubt that he would. In fact, Jack was pretty sure half the reason she'd fallen so hard for Divine was because of how much he went out of his way to take care of her. Every single time that he whispered 'I love you' against her skin felt like an oath, every single time she got to breathe 'I love you' to him felt like freedom. And while they were twisted up in bed sheets, it felt like nothing could come between them. Jack swore that she was seeing stars over the way his fingers worked over her, and her hips bucked to him. "You're amazing," she managed to breathe out between low moans. "I love you, handsome."

His cheeks were tinted with the most luscious shade of pink - like cotton candy - and Divine pressed a kiss to her lips. "I love you too, beautiful," he said as his pace picked up, and so did her heartbeat. Under his touch, she came apart with ease, soaking his hand and the towel underneath her. Divine pulled away for a second, and Jack took that moment to recover. She blinked as she sat up, and he'd undressed. He was now next to her again, allowing her to inspect the leather of the harness he was wearing to ensure it wouldn't slip. "What do you think, love?"

"I think you're the most handsome man I've ever seen," she said with a soft smile as she looked up at him. She pressed soft kisses along his hips and stomach, before taking the plastic cock into her mouth. Divine let out a low moan over the sight as Jack's head bobbed, lovingly sucking on it as if it were attached to him. Her violet eyes glanced up to meet his hazel eyes, and everything he was looking for his entire life was right there. His hips bucked up to her mouth, and in many ways, it was like she knew exactly what he needed. His fingers threaded through her hair, admiring the way that she always was so willing to reaffirm his masculinity in the smallest of ways. Was it any wonder that he'd gone so crazy over her? Divine was certain that he'd do anything to keep her in his life, no matter the cost to himself.

Jack leaned back on the bed, and Divine couldn't help but admire how comfortable she was here. Outside these walls, she was always putting on some kind of front. Everyone thought that they knew Jack Atlas, but right now, only Divine could say he knew her inside and out. Seeing her smile at him was enough to lift his spirits on his darkest days, and she never seemed to care about anything in his past. It was always about the right here, right now with her, and he appreciated that. Still, sometimes he wondered when the switch would flip.

Divine didn't understand how he'd gotten so lucky, but he was grateful for it. What else could he do but worship at the altar of Jack's hips, expressing his sincere love and gratitude for her continued existence in his life? He pressed tender kisses along her hips, wanting to take his time with her. She was impatient, however, and she threaded her fingers through his hair to tug his face to her dripping wet cunt. And who was he to deny her desire? His tongue circled at her clit, leaving love letters that left her gasping and writhing underneath him. Jack was not one to deny herself pleasure, and it didn't take long until she was cumming on his tongue.

This was his Christmas gift as far as he was concerned as he lapped up everything she gave him eagerly. He pressed a gentle kiss to her inner thigh before he moved up, aligning himself up and thrusting deep into her. Jack's back arched up immediately, and the loud moan that spilled out of her was music to his ears. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer with a near desperate kiss. Her tongue slid into his mouth, and his lips parted for her. There was no need for words when their bodies collided like this, desperately seeking to bring the other as much pleasure as possible. Everything they could possibly say to the other was in the motion of their movements, and the way their hands explored every inch of each other.

It was a connection that Divine never expected out of sex before. Before Jack, he'd always believed that it was just a means to an end, that nothing could be learned about someone through it. It seemed that he had been lying to himself. Here in bed with Jack, everything that Divine had ever been and who he could be was laid bare to her. And instead of hating him, she pulled him in closer. Her eyes were hazy and half lidded when he pulled away from the kiss, and there was a distinct flush on her face that ran down her chest. Divine couldn't keep his thoughts in order, and all he knew was that he was in love with her.

Each thrust was twinged with that desperation, chasing after a high that was sure to come. And when that one came, Jack's hips bucked to his, desperate for another. If it were not for exhaustion, Divine wasn't sure they'd ever stop. He was panting when they finally came to a rest, and her arms were still tight around his waist as she nuzzled into his neck with a soft smile. "I'm still not done with you," she teased, pressed kisses up along his neck. "You know I can go all night."

"Oh, I know you're capable of going all night," Divine managed to gasp out, flushed over the way she pushed him over and straddled him. He was now gazing up at her, admiring her soft curves and vicious smile. When she decided she wanted to take over, she went all in. His wrists were now pinned to the headboard, and she leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "You're not going to go easy on me, are you?"

Jack laughed as her hips rolled down to his, her eyes twinkling. "I could," she said as she leaned forward enough to press her tits into his face. Divine groaned under her, and she smirked as her hips bucked against his. "I could be so nice to you if you want me to, Div."

He had no doubt in his mind if he wanted control back, she'd hand it back over no problem. But as he stared up at her, watching the way she rode him... well, he couldn't exactly say no to her. Not when Jack was moaning as her hips slowly picked up the pace. His hands went to her hips, groaning as she leaned forward to bite at his neck, leaving behind dark hickies in her wake. "I think you're already being nice to me," he managed to moan between the rock of her hips. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you too," she whispered against his lips, her other hand roaming across his body. He leaned up to steal a kiss from her, and she tangled her hands into his hair with a soft moan. Her hips stuttered down to his, reaching yet another high. Jack collapsed next to Divine, smiling at him as she moved to trace hearts on his chest. She released his wrists, allowing him to put his arms around her. "Merry Christmas, my love."

Yusei and Carly had been in the kitchen of Poppo Time working together to get everything ready for when Crow came back. Lua was shouting about the matches that Crow had won, jumping all over the place as he tried to find someone willing to listen to the whole commentary. Luka, in comparison, was trying to tell Lua to settle down and complaining to Jack about how exuberant Lua could be. Aki was absent, as she had gone to the airport to pick Crow and Sherry up and bring them back to Poppo Time.

Overall, this had been exactly what Yusei had been hoping to get out of the holiday. Martha had come over with a batch of baked apples for everyone, and the entire place smelt of cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla. The pot of ramen was cooking, adding an extra savory layer to the scents. Lua had gotten caught three times trying to sneak a cookie before dinner, and Martha had warned him to not spoil his dinner twice. Yusei grinned over this, and slipped Lua two chocolate chip cookies. "Don't forget to give one to Luka," he muttered under his breath, grinning at Martha. "What? It's Christmas."

Martha sighed, shaking her head. "You're going to spoil those kids, Yusei," she said with a roll of her eyes. "When will I get to see Crow and Aki? I feel like I never see any of you kids anymore."

Jack spluttered indignity. "I saw you just yesterday," Jack immediately argued, sounding outraged. "Carly and I brought you gifts!"

"I remember Carly being there," Martha hummed as she stirred the ramen. "I don't seem to recall you being there, Jack."

Carly, for her part, looked utterly pleased by this. "Why thank you, Martha," she said as she glanced over at Jack. "It was nice to be able to meet you properly."

The sound of three Duel Runners arriving cut off any further complaints from Jack, and Yusei perked up. It seemed that Crow, Sherry, and Aki had arrived at the party. Yusei immediately left the kitchen to go see Aki walk in with Sherry and Crow. He went up to her to pull her into a tight hug, spinning her around. Aki immediately laughed, swatting him. "Yusei, you act like I was gone for days," she said. "Put me down! Go say hi to Crow and Sherry!"

"Yeah, are you gonna treat me like chopped liver after we went out of our way to be here for the holidays," Crow asked as Yusei set Aki down. He turned to him, giving Crow their usual fist bump. "Come on, man. Don't you know that Sherry and I could've totally not come here? Be grateful."

"I would never keep you away from your friends," Sherry immediately said, sounding outraged. She lightly whacked his shoulder, but the slight smirk on her face suggested it was a game to them. "Don't go using me as a shield to avoid hanging out with your friends!"

Sherry and Crow walked off to greet everyone else, and Yusei glanced over at Aki. "So... is this exactly what you wanted for Christmas?"

They had agreed to give each other their gifts in private, away from the prying eyes of all their friends. Yusei was nervous now that it was time to actually give Aki his gift, and worried that maybe she wouldn't like it. Aki was due over any moment now, and Yusei was pacing as he reconsidered the gift in the small box. Another part of him worried that it would look like he was asking the question, and he was mentally rehearsing a speech that made it clear that wasn't the case. The sound of Aki's bike approaching told him that he'd run out of time.

She entered, and this time she'd put on jeans and a dark blue brocade top under the new jacket she'd bought weeks ago. Aki was smiling softly as she stepped inside the garage, and Yusei's heart skipped a beat. "So," she said as she pulled a small box out of her jacket pocket. "I hope you like it."

Yusei nodded as he handed her the small box that contained the necklace, taking the gift from her. He could tell she wrapped it herself - there were slight crumples on the paper that were clearly rushed, and it felt entirely too thick for whatever was inside. Still, Yusei was touched that she'd made an attempt. He knew how much Aki had a dislike for wrapping paper. He tore through it, figuring there was no way to salvage the mess she'd made of it. He found a deck box inside, and Yusei flushed over the two Signer dragons on the back of it. When he flipped it over, Yusei swallowed the words on it. "I love it," he said softly, reaching to pull off the old deck box that contained his Riding Duel deck, swapping it immediately for the one Aki had given him. "Thank you."

Aki flushed. "It took me forever to figure out what to get you," she admitted quietly, toying with the small box in her hands. "Please tell me this is not an engagement ring."

"It's not, don't worry," Yusei said quickly, shaking his head. It would be ludicrous to ask Aki to marry him - she was only seventeen after all and he wasn't that much older. As much as Yusei knew he one day wanted to marry her, he was definitely not going to propose to her like this. "When I propose to you, it'll be more romantic than this. And... after you've settled into wherever you're going."

"Good," she said. With that Aki unwrapped the gift, and when she laid her eyes on the necklace, her breath hitched. "Yusei... this is..."

"Do you like it?"

Aki nodded quietly, glancing up at him. "Put it on me?"

"Okay," he said softly as he picked up the delicate chain, undoing the clasp as Aki spun around. She lifted up her hair from her neck (it was getting quite long), and Yusei pulled the chain around her neck. Aki gasped softly as Yusei's fingertips grazed her neck by mistake, and he closed the clasp. "It looks nice on you."

"It does," she agreed as she glanced down at it, spinning back to look at him with a soft smile. "Thank you. I'll... be able to look at it and know you're with me, even if..."

Aki trailed off. With her graduation looming and expectations upon her to continue her studies somewhere, there was a very real possibility Aki might not always be in Neo Domino City. Yusei nodded. "I feel the same with this," he said as he motioned to the deck box she'd gotten him. "It's like I have a part of you with me, always."

Both Yusei and Aki knew the deadline for gifts was approaching fast. Yusei, for his part, was pacing between book stores to try to figure out something that Aki hadn't already read yet. Getting her a journal after she'd seen that he tried to gift her one at the White Elephant felt like a cop out, and he was certain she'd guess it anyway. It was why Yusei wound up switching track to head into a jewelry store. It was there that he saw the perfect gift for her - a simple silver chain with the letter 'Y' engraved on it. Something of him that she could take with him wherever she went.

Yusei knew that wherever Aki wound up going in life, he couldn't hold her back. As much as the idea ached, he was fine with the idea that maybe one day Aki would leave Neo Domino City to chase her dreams. It was something that he was trying to come to terms with the more everyone around him seemed to move on to bigger and better things. And yet... at least he could say that he left a mark on them. That their bond would be real, no matter the distance between them. And if he could ensure that Aki would at least be able to think of him in some way, well, that was all that mattered.

While Yusei had managed to find something, however, Aki was still struggling. She had no idea what Yusei would want, and she was struggling to think of what he'd let her give him. Anything super expensive was out of the picture, as she knew he'd be unhappy if she outspent in terms of a gift. Their duel was still fresh on her mind, and she considered what would be useful to him. Certainly she could try to show a little more support for him working at MIDS by getting him a nice button down shirt for work but... that didn't feel like a proper Christmas gift. Not when it'd been a source of anxiety for him.

Aki frowned as she glanced over the clothes, realizing none of them were the answer to her problem regarding a gift for Yusei. She needed something that reminded him that she supported him and would be by his side regardless of how the future turned out. Aki had no idea where her future would take her, but she knew she wanted Yusei to be in it. She examined a display of leather deck boxes, ones that could be customized with engraving. "How much for a quick turn around on a customization," she asked, biting her thumbnail nervously when the price was given to her.

Well, she could always pretend she ordered it earlier to avoid the rush processing fee. She agreed to pay the fee, asking them to put 'with you always' and she handed them a sketch of Black Rose Dragon and Stardust Dragon for the main imagery. If anything, this was a far better gift than a reminder of the way the future could separate them. She nodded when she was told she should pick it up in a week, and walked out of the shop.

As much as Yusei didn't want to be here at the Izayoi mansion, he was here because Aki asked him to come. The sweater that Aki had helped him pick out felt embarrassing now, despite the people around him admiring its tackiness and suggesting it was a winner for sure. At least there was a small comfort in knowing that at least Martha's orphanage would soon be given a nice donation that would help for the holiday season. Growing up, Martha had always hidden how costly it was to ensure that all of the winter holidays got some attention, let alone ensuring that "Santa" visited them. Now that he was an adult (or as close as ever to being one, considering he was still a year off from the age of majority), he knew what Martha had struggled to hide.

While Yusei wasn't comfortable in this setting, it was clear that Aki wasn't that comfortable at the party either. Her smiles at her dad's friends were awkward at best, nodding over each of their statements. It was, admittedly, a dull party. At least a few of the people who worked at MIDS would mention knowing his father to him, and Yusei felt uncomfortable as he thought about how he'd have to work with them. Aki took his hand, glancing up at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said, and it was mostly true. While Yusei was uncomfortable and felt like too many here were looking past him to see only his father, he knew that at least Aki was here. "Couple of my future coworkers were letting me know they knew my father but... I'm alright."

Aki reached up to gently touch his cheek over his criminal marker, frowning. She stroked her thumb across it, and Yusei blushed. "If they knew your father, why did they never bother to reach out to you? They... left you there in Satellite..."

"Seems most people who were working on the project at the time thought I'd perished with my family," he said, his gut twisting over that. The entire time, Yusei had only grown up the way he had because of a fluke. No one had known that Yusei had survived, with some even apologizing to him for not trying to find him. It was strange to have to tell adults twice his age that it was fine they didn't know he was alive. "They only figured it out when I became Duel King... and were shocked to find out that I... turned out the way I had."

The implication over his criminal marker was left hanging in the air, and Aki glared at the party guests as if it would change the past. "I suppose in that way, neither of us are what anyone expected out of parents who were upstanding members of society," she said, flushing. "After they announce the winner and you tell them to donate it to Martha... Do you want to get out of here? Steal me away on the back of your motorcycle to take me to Poppo time?"

Yusei glanced back at the party, and back to Aki. No, a guy with a criminal marker and the Black Rose Witch would have ever been invited to a party like this. It wasn’t their kind of scene anyway. The only reason they’d ever shown up was for Aki’s parents’ sake. And while he was glad Aki had managed to find common ground with her parents, this party wasn’t one of them. He grinned. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Yusei couldn't really see the point in getting out of bed today. Which was already strange for him, considering how often he stayed up through the night most days. But today felt especially exhausting, as if the looming dread would never go away. He'd said his goodbyes to Martha yesterday, and arrived back at Poppo Time where the place was empty yet again. Bruno was dead, Jack was spending more time at Carly's place, and Crow had only been temporarily back for the gift exchange before leaving again to France to be with Sherry as she visited her parents' graves. It felt like a glimpse into the future: where everyone moved on and he stayed still. Accepting the job at MIDS felt less empowering now and more like another chain that tied him to his family legacy.

He stared up at the ceiling contemplating his own complicated feelings with his father. Some days, he almost resented the man for not trying harder to shut down the Moment research project, and that resentment was followed by guilt for even feeling that way. After all, it wasn't like his father could have known the long term consequences for the project's very existence. What was worse is how no one seemed to resent his father or him for it: it was as if no one wanted to admit the catastrophic failures they were responsible for.

There he laid until Aki's voice called out to him. "Yusei," she called from downstairs, and he could hear her heels clicking on the garage floor. "Yusei, where are you?"

Yusei didn't want to admit to Aki that he'd spent the better part of his day in bed hating that he'd agreed to take a job that only tied him further to his father's legacy, so he finally got out of bed and threw on whatever his hands touched first. He went downstairs, and there she was. She'd traded her usual outfit for a black lace top with long sleeves under a black corset with red detailing, with a very flouncy (and short) black skirt with black tights underneath. Yusei liked the new looks she'd been trying out. "Aki," he said softly. "What are you doing here?"

Aki flushed, stepping forward to him. "Well, I thought... since you'd be alone," she said, placing her hands on his chest. "Perhaps we might... get to enjoy some more time together?"

Strange how on most days, such a suggestion would be a welcome distraction. Yet right now, Yusei was struggling to feel much of anything. Normally her body pressed this close to him would evoke some sort of reaction, and he badly wished it would. He'd give anything to focus on something other than the storm clouds in his mind. "I..." Yusei had never really been in a position where he needed to turn down Aki's advances, and he wasn't sure how to. "I've got a lot on my mind today, Aki."

That took Aki off guard, and she pulled away instantly, looking confused. "Is... everything okay? Not that something needs to be wrong for you to not want to, it's just... you don't normally say no." Aki was rambling, and it was clear she felt guilty for even questioning why Yusei might not be up for sex. "Sorry, you don't have to explain anything to me."

He placed his hands on hers, and she finally ceased rambling, staring up at him with concern etched on her face. "I took a job at MIDS a few days ago," he finally admitted. "And I was just... thought about the ways it would tie me to..."

Yusei trailed off, but he didn't need to say anything more. Aki hadn't pulled away, as if she knew that he still wanted her here. "Your father's legacy," she said softly, her light hazel eyes (bordering on light brown with the softest hints of green, like a forest's undergrowth) staring deep in his. "I can't imagine it was easy to accept that job... are you sure it's what you want to do?"

"It'd... pay decent," he said evasively. No, Yusei wasn't sure it was what he wanted to but... he'd be ensuring another Zero Reverse could never happen again. It was the one thing that was keeping him from utterly spiraling over it. He wished he could muster up something that wasn't just an endless void where his feelings should be. Yusei thought of Jack, and how Jack could simply continue his life uncaring towards the weight of the past. He thought of Crow, away in France, living his life. And he wondered how long until Aki was gone too. "And well, someone has to fix the guardrails to ensure that this city's safe. Might as well be me."

Just last year, Yusei was picturing a future of tournaments where he could Duel with only his pride on the line. Instead, he found himself tied even deeper to his father's legacy, with even his name a reminder of what was expected of him. Instead of looking happy for him over the new job, Aki frowned. "You're still going to Duel, right?"

It wasn't the question he'd expected her to ask. In fact, her sharp glare was the last thing he expected in terms of a reaction. "I won't have time to Duel," Yusei said immediately, almost feeling defensive about it. "Aki, someone has to -"

"No, I know. Preventing another Zero Reverse is important," Aki said, cutting him off and stepping away. She looked... upset. And he couldn't fathom why. "Yusei, you entered the WRGP to find yourself. And instead you took your father's job. You told me how the past doesn't matter and doesn't define us. Was that a lie?"

If Aki had punched him in the gut, it would have dealt far less emotional damage. The sun was already setting behind them, inviting them into the longest night of the year. "Of course not," he immediately replied, confused how they'd gotten here. "I don't understand why you're upset. The pay would be -"

"I don't care about the pay!" Aki's hands were on her hips, staring up at him in disbelief. "You... You know you don't have to save everyone, right? That it's okay if you lived your own life, separate from your father's, right? It's not like I want to go into politics!"

Yusei was not expecting the conversation to go this way. He'd been expecting her to understand that he needed to do this, and that he would feel guilty if he didn't. Instead, Aki just seemed angry that he'd accepted the job. "This is different," he argued, returning the glare at her. It felt like she was clawing at his insides, searching for some sort of truth that lay under it. "If I don't do this, people might die."

"Then let's Duel," Aki immediately said, and she immediately walked towards her runner. He knew what she was after with the challenge - she wanted to know exactly what was laying in his heart. For once, the concept was terrifying. Yusei hadn't been scared of letting Aki in like this before, but with her staring him down from her runner, it was like he was being picked raw. Was this how she felt when they first met? "Come on, Yusei. It's not like I can beat you, so what are you so scared of?"

It was her claim that she couldn't beat him that finally had him move to his runner. "You have a better chance than anyone else," he said as he pulled his helmet on, glancing over at her. No one could really claim to know him the way that Aki could. Still, Yusei's heart wasn't fully in it. The sun was sinking on the horizon, and the air was getting colder. "Try and catch me."

Yusei still had more experience on her. It's why Yusei had the first corner, and he glanced down at his hand after he drew. Certainly not the worst hand he'd ever had. He set Synchro Material. "I destroy my facedown to special summon Card Breaker," Yusei called. "I summon Debris Dragon. Clustering stars weave a greater force! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Roar engines, Turbo Warrior!"

"Already Synchroing," Aki responded, sounding almost impressed. "And you claim I can beat you?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did," Yusei replied glancing over his shoulder at her. "I set two cards and end my turn."

It was Aki's turn, and she gained speed on him. Aki's deck had received some major modifications since the WRGP, not all of which he was familiar with. In many ways, it was part of what he was so scared of. How long until she outgrew him, like everyone else seemed to? "I summon White Rose Dragon," Aki called as White Rose Dragon appeared on the field. "Due to its effect, I can special summon Red Rose Dragon from my deck. A cold flame envelops the entire world, black flower bloom! Appear! Black Rose Dragon!"

Yusei's eyes widened as he looked over his shoulder. Black Rose Dragon was staring him down, and while she didn't look at him with the same hatred as when they first met, she definitely didn't seem too interested in pleasantries either. It was like she knew Yusei was trying to keep away from Aki the way he'd been feeling most of winter, and would happily beat it out of him for Aki. "Impressive," Yusei remarked. "Your deck brings out Black Rose Dragon fairly quickly now, huh?"

"If I want to go pro, then I certainly can't afford to beat around the bush," Aki responded, and he couldn't quite read her tone. "Due to Red Rose Dragon's effect, I can add Roxrose Dragon and Blooming of the Darkest Rose to my hand. I equip Speed Spell - Rose Malice to Black Rose Dragon. You might be familiar with some of its effects. One of them is that it increases Black Rose Dragon's attack by 800 points. Now, Black Rose Dragon, attack Turbo Warrior!"

Well, he certainly couldn't let Aki draw first blood that quickly. "I activate my facedown, Scrap Iron Scarecrow," he called. "You know what it does."

"Still relying on your same old tricks," she teased. "I set two cards and end my turn."

One of them was almost certainly Blooming of the Darkest Rose, but as for what the other was, he had no idea. Yusei drew a card, and was instantly annoyed. Fake Gardna certainly wouldn't help him out of this position. The best he could do was play defense until he could do something more useful. Ironically, isn't that what he was doing here? "I end..."

"I activate Ivy Shackle," Aki called. "All your monsters now become plant types."

"Right," Yusei said, glancing up at Turbo Warrior as the plants twisted around it. Why did it feel like no matter what he did, he couldn't hide the truth from Aki? It felt like she was twisting around inside him, poking and prodding at his guts until they'd all spill out. And normally, it was him in her position, he knew. It wasn't fair that he didn't want to let her do it back. Hypocritical, even. "I end my turn."

With no way for her to burst past Scrap Iron Scarecrow for now, they came to a stand still. She summoned Revival Rose, and he destroyed it. Until the sixth turn, where he saw Aki smirk. "I'll get you to open up one way or another, Yusei," she said, and while she hadn't intended it to be a threat, it sure did sound like. "I activate Speed Spell - Rose Wind. When I have four or more speed counters, I can destroy one trap on your side of the field. And with Scrap Iron Scarecrow gone...."

Yusei's eyes widened. "Turbo Warrior..."

"That's right: Black Rose Dragon attacks Turbo Warrior," she said. Aki had gained better control over her powers - it was nothing but a smack to his pride when Aki did the first damage of the Duel. "Due to Speed Spell - Rose Malice's effect, Turbo Warrior isn't destroyed and loses 600 attack points. It's your move, Yusei."

It wasn't even enough damage to drop in speed, and yet Yusei had a feeling she wouldn't stop there if he let her. He drew, glancing at his hand for ideas on how to get out of this. He didn't have the levels to get to Stardust Dragon, but maybe... "I activate Speed Spell - Angel Baton," Yusei called, drawing two more cards from his deck. Junk Synchron and Quillbolt Hedgehog. Still shy one level of Stardust Dragon but that didn't matter. He had an option, which is more than he had last turn. He discarded Quillbolt Hedgehog. "I summon Junk Synchron. Due to its effect, I can summon Card Breaker. And due to Quillbot Hedgehog's effect, I can summon it from my graveyard."

"Instantly summoning three monsters off one card," Aki said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "Now there's the Yusei I know."

"I'm not done yet," he retorted, almost starting to feel something sparking inside him. Maybe this had been the real goal of Aki's challenge - to get him out of the funk he'd found himself in. He certainly felt more alive, anyway. "Junk Synchron tunes Card Break and Quillbolt Hedgehog! Gathering roars turn into an echoing arrow which tears through the sky! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Show yourself, Junk Archer! Junk Archer removes Black Rose Dragon from play. Due to this, Speed Spell - Rose Malice is sent to the graveyard."

"Turbo Warrior's attack points return to normal due to Speed Spell - Rose Malice going to the graveyard."

"Battle! Junk Archer attacks you directly!"

"Not so fast, Yusei," Aki purred, now riding side by side with him. She winked at him, and he swore it felt like an arrow to his heart. "Did you forget about my set Blooming of the Darkest Rose? Upon activation, it summons a Rose Token with 800 attack and 800 defense in defense position to my side of the field for every Spell or Trap on the field, and I count two."

"I continue my attack," Yusei half growled, annoyed he wasn't able to end this quick enough. Of course Aki had a trick up her sleeve. "Junk Archer attacks and destroys your Rose Token! Turbo Warrior attacks the other!"

"And in your end phase, Black Rose Dragon returns to my side of the field," Aki said, and the Signer Dragon burst back onto the field in a flurry of rose petals that actively took a swipe at him. "Sorry - she's a little cranky about being banished." Yusei scowled, not surprised that Black Rose Dragon was willing to take a swipe at him. It was as if she knew that he was actively hiding something too. Something he didn't even want to admit to himself, really. "I summon Roxrose Dragon in defense. Due to Roxrose Dragon's effect, I can add Speed Spell - White Rose Storm. When I have 3 or more speed counters in my graveyard and White Rose Dragon in my graveyard, I can activate it and grant Black Rose Dragon a 500 attack point boost! It only lasts for one turn, but I only need it to last for one turn."

"You're going all in," Yusei remarked, well aware there was nothing he could do to stop her. "You know I took that job at MIDS because it's the right thing to do, right?"

"Did you," she challenged, digging deep into the pit of his stomach. It felt like she was trying to yank his heart out to take a good long look at it. And Yusei was scared what would happen if she did. "Black Rose Dragon, destroy Turbo Warrior." It was like his heart exploded in a million tiny pieces. "Due to Speed Spell - White Rose Storm, I can banish White Rose Dragon from my grave yard to attack again. Black Rose Dragon, destroy Junk Archer!"

She was now ahead of him, and he was chasing her. And suddenly he could picture the road to the future, where she was always just out of reach from him. Yusei took a steadying breath. Now was not the time to have another panic attack. The sun had fully set, and the only thing that kept her in view was the streetlights on the road. The air was cold, and he was grateful it wasn't snowing. "You cleared my field."

"It was easy," she said, glancing back at him. Instead of looking pleased about what she pulled off, she was glaring at him. "Stop going easy on me. I set a card and end my turn."

He knew Aki wasn't trying to be insulting, but he wasn't trying to go easy on her. Yusei was just having a hard time finding any heart in him at all. He drew, and glanced at it. It was enough to keep him in the game. "I summon Rockstone Warrior in defense mode, and set a card. I end my turn."

"Is that really all you're going to do," Aki asked, sounding almost angry now. "Where's your sense of pride, Yusei? Don't tell me that you lost it. I banish Revival Rose from my graveyard to activate Black Rose Dragon's effect to switch Rockstone Warrior from defense to attack, and reduce its attack points to zero. Rose Restriction!"

Black Rose's vines reached for his monster, forcing it into an open vulnerability. "I'm fuckin trying," he finally snapped, unable to keep it in any longer. "Don't you get it? I just... I'm not..."

"Maybe you'll find the words after this," she snarled, and he was stunned by her anger. "You can't shut me out, Yusei. You forced me to open my heart to you, and you won't do the same? Roxrose Dragon, attack Rockstone Warrior!"

"Due to Rockstone Warrior's effect, I take no battle damage," he called back, though Roxrose Dragon still managed to get a swipe on him. She was holding back just enough to not hurt him, at least. He couldn't be sure about Black Rose Dragon, however. As much as Aki gained control, the Signer Dragon seemed to have a mind of her own. "Aki, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shut you out... I just... I couldn't..."

"You couldn't what," she asked as he fumbled through his words, trying to explain himself to her. "Black Rose Dragon attacks you directly!"

Yusei was right: Black Rose Dragon was not nearly as nice as Aki was. Black Rose's vines wrapped around his neck, vaguely choking him for just a brief second before letting him go. He gasped in shock, well aware it was only because of Aki that the dragon didn't try to kill him. "I activate Hope for Escape! I draw a card for every thousand point difference in life points we have," he said. "Because you have four thousand life points and I have 300, I draw four cards."

The cards he drew provided an out... or at least a way to start turning the tables. "Why did you agree to take that job with MIDS," she asked. "You never showed any interest in following your father's steps before. I set a card and end my turn."

"I told you: it's the right thing to do," Yusei said, and he could finally admit to himself that he didn't want to. Yusei didn't want to have to work for MIDS, repairing the mistakes of his father. And yet... "I activate Speed Spell - Angel Baton." He glanced at what he drew, discarding Stardust Xialong. "I activate the effect of Rockstone Warrior. By banishing it from my graveyard, I can special summon another copy from my deck in defense mode. Come forth, Rockstone Warrior!"

"Still hiding behind defenses," Aki said, and spun her runner around to face him. He could read her face - the pure frustration that he wouldn't tell her what was going on in his head. "Tell me what's wrong, Yusei."

"Nothing's wrong," Yusei said automatically. "I summon Hyper Synchron. Hyper Synchron tunes Rockstone Warrior! Clustering wishes will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Soar, Stardust Dragon!

"I activate Raigeki Break," Aki said as she spun her runner back around. "By discarding a card from my hand, I can destroy one monster on the field. I target Stardust Dragon for destruction!"

"I activate Stardust Dragon's effect! Victim sanctuary!"

"You can't keep sacrificing yourself for everyone forever, Yusei," she responded immediately, glancing back at him in annoyance. "You have to live your own life, for yourself! When we first met, you told me I had to think for myself and that I had to live my own life for myself. It's time you had the same advice." She took a deep breath. "You're below the safety line again, with only three speed counters. You always wind up here, pushing yourself ragged and not letting anyone help you. If I draw a Speed Spell next turn, I win."

Aki was right, and Yusei knew it. And for the first time in a while, in the dead of night on the road with Aki, he found the will to fight for his own future again. "I set three cards and end my turn. Stardust Dragon returns to my side of the field. I end my turn."

"I just have to draw a Speed Spell," she said, and she drew. Judging by the frown on her face, she must not have drawn the Speed Spell she needed to end it. "I remove 7 speed counters to activate Speed World 2's effect."

"Then you won't be able to end this for another four turns," Yusei remarked, amused. "You need at least four Speed Counters to activate Speed World 2's burn effect."

"I know what it means," she snapped as she drew again, glaring at the card she drew. Perhaps she didn't have an out to Stardust Dragon? That seemed the most likely reason for her to be annoyed. "I switch Roxrose Dragon to defense. I banish Black Rose Dragon to add Blooming of the Darkest Rose back to the bottom of my deck. Black Rose Dragon returns during the standby phase of my next turn. I summon Witch of the Black Rose in defense. Due to its effect, I draw, and if I don't draw a monster card, then it's destroyed."

"Who's hiding behind defenses now?"

"Shut up," she said as she drew again. Aki held up Blue Rose Dragon to show him she drew a monster card. "Looks like I'm lucky. I end my turn."

Yusei nodded as he drew again, glancing up at the sky. The endless inky void of space, with the stars hidden behind the city lights around them, greeted him. He glanced back at what he had. "With Stardust Dragon on my field, I can summon Stardust Xialong. Next I summon Majestic Dragon. Battle!"

"You aren't going to Synchro first," Aki asked, glancing back at him. "I told you: stop taking it easy on me!"

It hit Yusei then that yes, he'd been going easy on her. "I'm not," he responded immediately. "Stardust Dragon attacks Roxrose Dragon! Shooting Sonic!" Roxrose Dragon shattered, and Yusei might not have dealt any damage, but he certainly took away some advantage from her. Since she didn't stop him from attacking, there must be nothing she could do to stop him. "I activate Urgent Tuning! With this, I can Synchro during my battle phase. Majestic Dragon tunes Stardust Xialong and Stardust Dragon! Gathering starlights will enlighten a new miracle! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Arrive in light, Majestic Star Dragon!"

"Does this mean you'll finally tell me what's wrong," Aki asked. "You haven't been honest with me yet."

"You're right. I have been going easy on you. I haven't had my heart in this Duel because I haven't felt much of anything today," Yusei admitted. In the light, everything suddenly felt impossible to hide. "I took the job at MIDS because I felt like I wasn't good enough for you, and I'm scared that the future means I'll wind up here while the rest of you leave."

"Oh, Yusei," Aki said softly, glancing back at him. "I'm scared of the future too. But I promise you: you are good enough for me. You don't need to make a bunch of money for that to be true. And none of us have any plans on abandoning you. You're never going to be alone as long as we're around."

It was like he could finally let go of the fears he didn't want to admit he was carrying. "Majestic Star Dragon attacks Witch of the Black Rose," he said, watching as the final defense position monster Aki had on the field left. "You won't be able to end the Duel next turn, even if you draw a Speed Spell. I might be below the safety line, but I'm still in this. Majestic Star Dragon returns to my extra deck, and Stardust Dragon returns to my field. I end my turn."

"So you're not going to keep pretending everything's fine with me then," Aki asked as she drew, glancing at the card. "Due to Blooming of the Darkest Rose's effect, Black Rose Dragon returns to the field."

"No," Yusei said softly. "I'll be honest with you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I was struggling."

"When did it start getting so bad?"

It was a question he hadn't expected. It'd been creeping on him, and it came to a head when he'd had that panic attack in the snow. Everything since then felt like Yusei was trying to seem strong despite something inside him chipping away until he was left with a void where he used to have insides. "I guess since the start of winter," he said, frowning. "Is that relevant?"

"I see," Aki said softly. "I set a card and end my turn."

The one thing now is that he couldn't let Aki gain speed. He drew, and glanced at it. Without knowing her set card, Yusei couldn't be sure it was a way to stop him from going for game. "I active Speed Spell - Silver Contrails. Due to its effect, Stardust Dragon gains 1000 attack points."

"At least you aren't holding back anymore. I'd hate it if the only reason I beat you was because you weren't fighting back."

"You were right: I wasn't fighting back. I summon Healing Wave Generator in attack mode. Due to its effect, I can select one monster on my side of the field and gain life points equal to its level times one hundred. I select Stardust Dragon!" Finally, Yusei was back above the safety line with 1100 life points. It was a strange feeling. He'd spent so long just barely having his head above water that just treading water felt like a relief. "Stardust Dragon attacks Black Rose Dragon! Shooting Sonic!"

Aki was now fully behind him with the hit, and Yusei sped past her. He caught a glimpse of the look on her face: relief. "I know you can't just quit MIDS," she said softly. "Not when you'd already agreed to do it. But promise me that you won't stop Dueling while you're at it."

"As long as you agree to also not stop Dueling, Aki."

"It's a deal," she agreed with a brilliant smile. "Winters won't always be hard, Yusei."

Normally by now, the sun would be coming up with how long they'd been at this Duel. And yet the night marched on, uncaring and unfeeling. And it occurred to Yusei that he missed the sun. Aki had understood something in him that even he hadn't realized was there. "I attack directly with Healing Wave Generator!"

"Just because I'm glad you're finally opening up doesn't mean I'm going to let you take victory that easily," Aki responded as her trap card flipped face up, and Yusei realized his mistake too late. "I activate Wicked Rebirth! I pay 800 life points to revive Black Rose Dragon! Would you like to keep attacking, or are you going to call that foolish attack off?"

It wouldn't have mattered if Healing Wave Generator was in defense, admittedly. With Black Rose Dragon's effect, she could just bulldoze through it. He gritted his teeth as he glanced at his set cards. Yusei could certainly power through this. "I call of my attack and end my turn."

Aki drew, and glanced at the card. "This has been fun, Yusei. Just you and me with no stakes higher than our pride," she said softly. Yusei smiled back at her, nodding. For once, the world wouldn't end if he lost. It was a reminder of why he'd loved Dueling in the first place. "But this is it. Black Rose Dragon attacks Healing Wave Generator! Rose Gale!"

"Remember: I'm not going easy on you anymore," Yusei said as he activated his trap. "I've been letting you walk all over me, and that ends now. I activate Defense Draw! This stops your attack, and I get to draw a card!"

"Should have known that you wouldn't just let me attack," Aki said, but she was grinning. "Glad to see you're fighting back. I set a card and end my turn!"

Yusei drew, and glanced. A Speed Spell. The same way Aki had planned to end this Duel was now viable to him. He just needed to last for one more turn. "I activate Healing Wave Generator's effect again," Yusei said as he gained back another 800 life points. He had no way to stop Black Rose Dragon from attacking, but he could at least ensure he'd survive the attack. And well, surviving was all he could do until he could end this. "Stardust Dragon attacks Black Rose Dragon! Shooting Sonic!"

As the two Signer Dragons clashed, his mark burned but the city lights stayed aglow in the night. Unlike before, the Moment could now handle this sort of thing. "Impressive," Aki said as Black Rose Dragon's rose petals fell around her like snow. "I... I'll always be in your life, Yusei. You know that, right?"

"I know that now," Yusei said softly. "Healing Wave Generator attacks you directly!"

"I activate Offensive Guard! With this, Healing Wave Generator's attack is halved," she said as the attack went through. Aki continued after him, grinning. "We'll have to do this again soon. I feel like I've gotten stronger."

"You certainly have." Even before Yusei had found it in him to fight back, Aki would've been a terrifying opponent to beat. She'd cut through his defenses like butter, and kept the pressure intense the entire time. "I told you: if anyone could beat me one day, it would be you. I end my turn."

Aki drew for her turn, glancing over at it. It didn't matter what Aki had drawn, as she lacked the speed to activate Speed World 2's effect. However, she would certainly have the speed necessary if she got another turn. Yusei couldn't let her have another turn. "I summon Blue Rose Dragon in defense mode! Its effect allows me to bring back Black Rose Dragon! And now Black Rose Dragon attacks Healing Wave Generator! Black Rose Gale!"

Yusei was back below the safety line, and he was pulled back neck and neck with her. "Determined, aren't you?"

She smirked at him. "What can I say? I'd love to claim to have beaten the Duel King," she teased with a wink. "Any response? Or are you going to stay below the safety line again?"

"I activate Miracle's Wake to resummon Healing Wave Generator," Yusei said, understanding what she meant. It wasn't about winning anymore - it was about proving that he wouldn't just let life happen to him. "You're right: I've spent too long below the safety line."

"Good. I end my turn."

Yusei drew, and glanced at it. "I can end it now," Yusei said as he glanced over at her. "I activate Healing Wave Generator's effect one last time."

"Finally going to spend some time above the safety line here with me, then?"

"Yeah," he said softly. "That being said... I remove four speed counters to activate Speed World 2's effect." Yusei showed her the two Speed Spells in his hand. "I have just enough in hand to go for game."

Aki's life points hit zero, and the two of them came to a stop together. The sun never did rise on their Duel, but Aki grinned all the same. "For the record, I'm buying you a sun lamp. I think it might help."

Aki was once again over at Martha's, but this time she was in the kitchen with Yusei. The kids had wanted cookies, and Martha had set Yusei to task on making them. It meant that once again, Aki was growing impatient with cookie dough. Yusei had put his arms around her, allowing her to relax against him as he showed her the right way to cream the butter. "You need to put a little more strength in it," Yusei said gently, helping her press the butter into the bowl. "You can do this, Aki."

He was so gentle in his encouragement, so sure in his belief in her. It felt silly to be flustered over it when it was just making cookies. Yet... this kept happening. Every time he got close to her, she could feel his body heat radiating off him. And then she'd think about the other times he'd been this close to her, all the ways his very touch felt electric against her skin, and how alive he made her feel... and then she spilled just a little too much vanilla into the batter. "Fuck," she said immediately, blushing bright red. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be so heavy handed..."

"It's okay," he said softly, kissing her cheek before taking the mixing bowl to fix her mistake. Aki fixated on the way Yusei's hands seemed so sure in what he was doing, and the other ways he'd used his hands in such a precise manner. The batter was now the same exact color as his skin, and Aki felt warm all over. Yusei glanced over at her, and he smirked. "Busy thinking about something else, Aki?"

"No," she exclaimed immediately, lying straight through her teeth. It was a lie; she'd been thinking heavily about how nice it would be if Yusei bent her over the counter, hiked up her skirt, and... this was Martha's kitchen, she reminded herself. It was utterly inappropriate for her to be thinking about this while in Martha's kitchen, while baking cookies that were meant for the kids. "Just... admiring how skilled you are at baking."

Yusei clearly didn't believe her. "So if I said after we finish making these cookies and leave them to cool, I should take you upstairs, you wouldn't be interested?"

"I.. well," she said softly, glancing back at the cookie dough then to him. "I wouldn't be opposed to it, no."

Aki was getting frustrated by the wrapping paper. It never seemed to do exactly what she wanted, and she found herself repeatedly just crumpling up the wrapping paper to start again. "You're wasting paper," Martha said, startling Aki. "We only have so much wrapping paper. Try to be more careful."

The reminder that she was wasting paper felt like an insult even if Martha hadn't meant to cause any ill will. Even now, Aki had a difficulty controlling her emotions. So she stood up quickly, walking out of the room before she could say anything she'd regret. She was angry, but not really at Martha. No, Aki was angry with herself. It felt like she'd missed a critical skill in wrapping presents, and she felt the weight of her own failures clenching around her heart. She sunk to the floor, trying to remind herself it was just wrapping paper. She heard footsteps, and was about to get up to leave when Yusei's boots came into her line of sight. "Aki," he said gently, squatting down next to her. "Are you okay? Martha said you just got up and left and was worried about you."

Of course. She couldn't even leave a room without causing issues, could she? "I just," she said, trying to think of what to tell Yusei. Aki didn't want to lie to him, not when they'd been so honest with each other thus far. "I know it's stupid. It just... didn't feel good when Martha reminded me that I was wasting wrapping paper."

Yusei's brow furrowed. After all, he couldn't exactly contradict Martha's point, and Aki knew that. She didn't want him to give her some sickly sweet statement on how wasting resources was fine, actually, especially when she knew he didn't mean it. He moved to properly sit next to her, putting his arm around her. "You didn't learn how to wrap presents, did you?"

How did he do that? Aki didn't understand how he could see through her like she was made of glass. Yusei somehow struck to the heart of the issue, and Aki felt her cheeks heat up as she nodded. "I... well. I never got to wrap presents when I was still living with my parents... and while I mean, I still had Christmas at the Arcadia movement..." She paused, not sure how much Yusei wanted to know about holidays when she'd been living under Divine's rule. He didn't interrupt, so she continued. "I just... never wrapped any gifts. Divine... didn't like presents and I wasn't really close to anyone else there enough to consider buying them a gift."

"So you just never had a chance to learn," Yusei said immediately, with no room for argument. "If you'd like... I can teach you how to wrap a gift. We can take some paper up to my old room and the twins' gifts, and I'll show you."

Aki flushed, nodding. "I'd like that."

Aki had gotten the costume long before she'd known that Yusei had planned to dress up as Santa Claus for the kids at Martha's place. She wished she'd thought longer about the length of the skirt before getting it, because now she was rushing to make it appropriate to be around children. She'd hidden the short red dress under a sweater and a skirt, and was blushing as she arrived at Martha's. Even though she'd managed to pull together some level of propriety, she couldn't help but wonder if Yusei would even like the outfit. Yusei was standing amongst the children, giving out gifts with a bright smile on his face. He glanced up at Aki, and smiled at her.

The illusion of Yusei being Santa was the only reason she didn't go over to him. One of the children asked her where Yusei was, and Aki laughed, saying that he had to work. "But he's missing Santa," the child said with a pout. "Tell him that he shouldn't work, cause he misses everything when he does!"

Aki couldn't help but wink at Yusei in his outfit. "Oh, I'll be sure to tell him he shouldn't work," she said, settling down next to Martha. She nudged her with a grin. "If anything, Yusei's going to work himself to an early grave."

Yusei glanced over at them, and he rolled his eyes at their conversation. He couldn't even defend himself without risking ruining the illusion for their children, so he kept his mouth shut. Martha, meanwhile, was looking at Aki with approval. "Maybe he should spend less time working and more time taking care of us," she joked with a warm smile. "Such a shame Yusei couldn't be here today with the kids. They're always so excited to see him, too."

Aki grinned at Yusei, who was now somewhat scowling at them. He was distracted by the kids, however, and Aki watched him hand out toys to the kids. She slipped upstairs to Yusei's childhood bedroom while the children were distracted, wanting to get some alone time with Yusei. He wasn't far after her, and now that they were alone, he could scowl at her. At least he'd removed the fake beard so she couldn't laugh at how the expression looked when paired with it. "I'm always working, am I?"

"Well, you do tend to fall down rabbit holes," she teased as she pulled him in for a kiss. His scowl softened, though he still looked vaguely annoyed from Martha and her’s earlier teasing. "So this is the bedroom you grew up in?"

"Yes," he said, glancing around the room. Martha had kept it in a decent order. It wasn't always empty like this. "I... really didn't spend much time in here. Most of the time, I was in Jack's room."

There was a time when Aki might have been jealous of Yusei and Jack's bond, but not anymore. She'd seen how Yusei avoided sleep because of nightmares, and how much better he slept with someone curled up next to him. Aki was just glad that even before she entered his life, he'd had Jack. Instead, what she was jealous of was that she'd never had that. She took his hand, smiling softly at him. "I imagine it was nice having someone you could trust like that."

Yusei squeezed her hand and nodded. "I wish you could have had that," Yusei said softly.

"I've made my peace with the past," she replied, pulling away. "I'm more interested in our future. I did have something I wanted to show you, however."

"Are you sure you know how to drive this thing?"

While Aki knew that Yusei had many talents, she had no idea how he would've ever learned how to drive a sleigh. The horse glanced at Aki, and she realized how much she deeply disliked the animal. It was far too large, and too intelligent for its own good. Instead of focusing on the horse, she turned back to Yusei, who was grinning just a little too wide. "Can't be too hard," he said with that teasing tone she wanted to claim she hated. "Come on, Aki. It'll be fun!"

"Seriously, where did you learn how to drive a sleigh," she asked as she climbed into the sleigh, noting the lack of seat belts. "Don't tell me you used to drive little orphan kids through the snow in a sleigh every Christmas."

"Martha would've never let me," Yusei said as he picked up the reins, directing the horse to start moving. The sleigh lurched forward, and Aki held onto the bench to keep from moving forward herself. "She didn't like the lack of seat belts in the sleigh when Crow tried."

"Crow tried?" Aki's stomach tumbled as the sleigh picked up speed as the horse began to trot through the snow. Really, it was more nerves over the horse - an unknowable factor in the equation. She trusted Yusei well enough, but she certainly did not trust how the horse could decide to do whatever it wanted. "He knows how to drive a sleigh?"

"Well, sort of," Yusei said, more focused on controlling the brutish animal - and she couldn't blame him for that. In fact, she was grateful that he clearly understood the animal better than she did. His control was impressive, and she felt herself relaxing knowing that Yusei at least knew what he was doing. "Crow had gotten the sleigh to take his kids for a sleigh ride, but I don't know if he actually knows how to drive it. Martha pointed out the lack of seat belts, and Crow ditched the idea before it even happened."

When they agreed to do a white elephant, Yusei had expected he was going to be able to sneak an extra gift to Aki besides the singular one they'd agreed upon. Turns out that was not going to be the case, as while Aki picked out the gift he'd bought, Crow had decided to steal Aki's gift. He supposed it was the nice wrapping paper - he should've chosen something less appealing. And yet he'd only chosen that wrapping paper because he knew it'd get Aki's attention. Instead Crow was holding up the leather journal that Yusei had gotten for Aki with a look of disappointment. "This is lame," Crow complained, as if the gift had been meant for him in the first place. "Who'd want a journal?"

Meanwhile, Aki had wound up with a collection of ramen shaped bath bombs that Yusei could only assume that Carly had gotten for Jack. He had a sneaking suspicion that most of them had wound up with a gift that was intended for someone else, but no one wanted to speak up and admit it. He could only assume that whoever had gotten this fairly nice set of beauty supplies had not intended for Yusei to wind up in possession of them.

With Christmas drawing near, the amount of decorations going up was in full swing. The entirety of the city looked straight out of a postcard. It was the one thing that Aki liked about the season. She was giggling over the mistletoe everywhere, and dragged Yusei under them. Yusei, for his part, seemed puzzled. "What are these green plants hanging everywhere for?"

Aki tilted her head, confused. She knew that Christmas in Satellite looked different, but surely they still had mistletoe, right? Yusei wasn't the type to pull her leg, admittedly, but he was the type to tease her before a kiss. "Oh, surely you had it," she asked as she leaned in closer, still expecting him to take full advantage of the fact she was standing right under it. "It's mistletoe. Didn't you have it in Satellite?"

When he looked up at the plant, perplexed, it slowly dawned her that no, the tradition did not exist in Satellite. "What's the point in hanging it everywhere?"

It occurred to her that if she wanted her kiss, she was going to have to go after it herself. "Well, there's this tradition that if someone is standing under mistletoe, you're supposed to give them a kiss," Aki said, her cheeks slowly turning a bright pink. She grabbed the lapels of his jacket, pulling him down into a kiss with a soft hum of appreciation. Yusei's arms wrapped around her instinctively, flooding her senses with the familiar mix of gasoline, nicotine, and his aftershave - all the things that made him home. "Like that..."

Aki stumbled on the ice, trying to keep herself steady. She felt the flush across her cheeks as she glanced up - Yusei was showing off yet again. Of course he could ice skate. She'd seen how he could rollerblade effortlessly, and while she wasn't that bad at it herself, he still clearly outclassed her in skill. "Where did you learn this," she asked, taking his hand as he came to a stop next to her with an overwhelmingly cocky grin on his face.

"Not all of us grew up with easy access to computers and TVs," he teased, squeezing her hand as he went backwards, leading her. "Some of us had to find other forms of entertainment during the winter."

Aki considered this. She'd long known that Satellite hadn't been an easy place to grow up in, but the more Yusei talked, the more she came to understand that it was at least fun in its own way. If she was understanding correctly, while she watched movies for Christmas, he skated. "So you learned how to ice skate first then?"

He smirked and pulled away, putting a flourish into his spin as he skated around her. She rolled her eyes, and yet she couldn't help the flutter in her chest as he demonstrated his own expertise. For someone who claimed he couldn't dance, there was an elegance in his move. And then he was close to her again, drawing her in. "Well, I certainly couldn't let Jack be better than me."

Aki's eyes widened. "Jack knows how to skate too?"

She didn't know why this surprised her. When teaching her how to do Riding Duels, Yusei had claimed that skating was a good way to learn the balance of a motorcycle. Perhaps there was something to it then. Yusei eased her into a twirl, and Aki felt like she might topple over up the toe of the blade. Her heart thudded in her chest, and Yusei ignored her question in favor of saying, "There you go - ease into it."

"What movie is this again?"

Aki had pressed the disc into a DVD player that Yusei had scrounged up just for this purpose. She'd ditched her usual red in favor of a black corset top and a short black skirt, and he had to admit he liked the way it looked on her. She settled in next to him, grinning up at him. "It's a Christmas film that papa loved," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. She was pressed so close him, and he could feel the warmth radiating off her. "It's kind of a cheesy romcom, but I liked it well enough."

Yusei nodded as he put his arm around her shoulders loosely, more focused on her than the movie if he was honest. Most of the movies had been nice enough, but all that mattered was the smile they brought to Aki's face. After a certain point, he became able to predict the plot beats of each Christmas romcom she brought his way and while he wouldn't say he was a fan of them, he was a fan of how she cuddled up closer for them. And he certainly liked how she kissed him after each one.