Bonds of the Soul

Feelings

This is the chapter I've been really looking forward to posting for the last four months. I started planning it back when I posted Chapter 4 on February 15, and I wrote it on February 25. I'm so excited to finally be able to post it!

Later that night, the four counterparts were sleeping in Yuya's bed together. Yoko and Yusho had ordered a bigger bed for them, since they didn't really fit on the bed all together and there really weren't any more places for them to sleep, but the new bed hadn't arrived yet.

Yuri was having a nightmare, seeing the carnage of the horror movie they had watched that evening even in his sleep. But it was even worse, because in his nightmare the horror movie monsters were slaughtering his counterparts.

"No... No... please..." Yuri whimpered in his sleep, thrashing around. "Not them... don't hurt them... no..."

Yuto woke up first, hearing Yuri whimpering. Yuya and Yugo were awakened by Yuri's thrashing, as he accidentally kicked both of them in his sleep. They were about to try and wake Yuri, when he suddenly sat bolt upright with a scream, "NO!"

It took Yuri a moment to realize where he was. Then, Yuya sat up and turned on the lamp, lighting up the room. Yuri looked at his counterparts with wide, panicked eyes, only calming down when he saw that they were all alive and unharmed.

"Okay, I think we can all agree, never let Yuri see a horror movie before bed," Yugo said, patting the Fusion duelist's shoulder.

"Th-the creatures... they were killing you three..." Yuri stammered quietly. Yuto pulled Yuri into a hug. "We're okay, don't worry. We're all safe."

Yuya and Yugo turned the hug into a group hug, and Yuri slowly calmed down. After a long moment, he spoke. "I... I think..."

He stopped, and his counterparts waited patiently. But he never said what he thought. After about a minute of silence, Yugo spoke up. "You think what?"

Yuri hesitated. Then, in a very quiet voice, he said, "I think... I... like you guys..."

"Like... as friends?" Yuya asked. Yuri shook his head. "N-no... like... I like you, like you..."

Yuto, Yugo, and Yuya were quiet for a moment. Then Yuto said, "Me too... I think I like you guys too..."

"Oh thank god, I thought I was the only one!" Yugo exclaimed in relief. "Like... I can't decide who I like more, I just like you all equally!"

"Me too!" Yuya said. "I mean, I liked Yuto first, but then I started liking Yuri too, and then I liked Yugo, and I was kicking myself over it cuz I like three people!"

That brought smiles and soft laughter to the whole group. They lay back down on the bed, snuggling together with the light still on. After a moment, Yuri asked, "So, uhm, when did you all realize you like me?"

"For me it was when you helped me with my math homework," Yugo confessed. "I realized just how smart you are, plus you didn't get annoyed when I kept making mistakes. You were really patient, and you actually helped me to understand math a little better."

"For me it was when we were trying to bake cupcakes, and we ended up throwing all the batter at each other," Yuya said. "It was a lot of fun, and I really wanna do it again with you sometime!"

Yuri grinned. Then Yuto smirked and said, "For me it was the massage chairs at the mall. Your reaction to them was adorable. I kept thinking about tickling you the whole way home. You really have no idea how hard it was to resist the urge!"

Yuri blushed and hid his face as Yugo and Yuya chuckled in amusement. Then Yugo asked, "What about me? When did you all realize you like me?"

"When we went on our first D-Wheel ride in Maiami City together," Yuya said. "The sun was setting, and we stopped to watch it on the bridge together, and you looked so pretty lit up by the sunset. You were practically glowing! And then we started dancing together, and I just wanted that moment to last forever."

"I realized I liked you the first time I went to tell you that Yuya's parents had left to go on a date," Yuto said. "You had motorcycle grease on your face, and you didn't even notice, and you were just so cute!"

"For me it was when you cried over that cupcake Yuya's mom gave you at the mall," Yuri said. "I just wanted to comfort you and make you happy, and give you everything you were never allowed to have."

Yugo smiled softly, snuggling closer to his counterparts. Yuya smiled. "What about me?"

"I realized I liked you when Yugo and I were dueling and you tried to stop us," Yuto sighed. "When Yugo's attack was coming straight for you, I knew I couldn't just let you get hurt. I never would have forgiven myself."

Yuya reached out and gently squeezed Yuto's hand comfortingly. He smiled when Yuto squeezed back.

"I knew I liked you the first time I saw you smile," Yuri admitted. "It felt like the whole world got a little brighter, and I couldn't breathe for a moment, but in a good way. I'd never felt anything like that before, and I wanted to be with you forever so that I could always see you smile."

"I realized I liked you when we were watching you practice your gymnastics for the first time," Yugo said, wiggling a little in excitement at the mere memory. "You were amazing! I'd never seen gymnastics before, and you're so good at it! I was worried that you would make a mistake and hurt yourself, but you were like a pro!"

Yuya giggled. "I've made mistakes during training before, just not in a long time!"

"Well, what about me?" Yuto asked.

"When you carried Yuya into the house after he snuck out to go to that 7-Eleven," Yuri said, pouting a little. "I'll admit I was a bit jealous. But it took me a moment to realize I was jealous of Yuya, not you. I wanted you to carry me like a princess like that."

Yuto smiled. "That can be arranged!"

Yuri blushed and buried his face in Yugo's chest. Yugo chuckled. "For me it was when I tasted the pizza you made. It was the best pizza I've ever tasted, and I just wish there was more. You're a really good cook!"

Yuya smiled, "He is, isn't he? For me it was around the same time you realized you liked me. When I was holding you in my arms, and realizing that you weren't going to make it. My heart was breaking at the thought of losing you."

Yuto squeezed Yuya's hand again and gave him a smile. "Well, now I'm okay, and here with you. We all are."

The four counterparts were quiet for a few minutes. Then Yugo said, "So... does this mean we can all be in a relationship together?"

Yuri smiled. "I'd like that."

"Me too," Yuto said.

"Yeah!" Yuya said happily. "All four of us, together!"

"YES!" Yugo cheered, fistpumping. Yuya, Yuri, and Yuto all giggled at how cute his excitement was.

And that was how the four counterparts started a quad polyamorous relationship together.