kfufu doodle from earlier today in class that i kinda digitalized!!! please check out shy it's so good!!! i can't wait to see kfufu in the anime she's so silly :))
Hardy, who had not previously been as seducible by Nelson's charm or so responsive to it as some others, kissed the dying Admiral's forehead.
Nelson: Love and Fame, Edgar Vincent
lol ~seducible~
Anyone else have a sudden mental image of Nelson, rose between his teeth, draping himself across the stern-lockers in increasingly suggestive poses, while Hardy’s just sat there writing in his log or something, not even looking at him, going, “No.”
A late birthday gift for my dear friend and wonderful kouhai @jirehthedisciple (sorry for the delay, Jireh! I hope you like! :3c)
Fandom: Arc V
Words: ~2,850
Pairings: Fruitshipping!! (YuyaxYuzu OTP!!!)
Genre: Yep so this is romantic c:
Notes: Set a few years post-canon. I didn’t include any other pairings because this is specifically a moment for the fruits, sorry everyone else (kinda).
“So… you’re really leaving then?” Yuzu tried her best to hide the heartache through her usual performer’s facade, but when she turned to face Yuya, she knew instantly that her voice had given her away like some unreliable narrator.
As if following in cue with her, his face seemed to mimic hers almost exactly, and when he finally willed a response, she knew she’d soured his performer’s spirit as well. “Yeah… I mean… I want to stay here and cheer you on during your tournament too, but-”
“But nothing,” Yuzu interrupted desperately, a bit of sweat slithering down her neck. Out of habit, she reached out to Yuya’s hands; cupped in hers, she was relieved when he didn’t immediately attempt to wriggle them loose and found the warmth they created together all the more reassuring. “Don’t worry about me and make sure you do your best out there! Make us proud!” She dispensed a wink for him as she finished giving him a dose of his own style of moral support.
The tone of his voice reflected the instant relief displayed in his eyes. “My first big tour in the Pro Leagues… I’m gonna go all out! Thanks, Yuzu!” His confident grin slacked just slightly before perking back up again as he continued. “You do your best too!”
“Of course,” she replied, reluctantly letting go of his hands. “And, Yuya…” She lowered her voice to a softer tone, matching the gaze she now met his eyes with.
Yuya blinked away his previous excitement at her hesitation. “Huh?”
“Be careful, okay?”
Yuya didn’t realize he’d winced at her words so harshly. All he noticed when he came back into focus was that Yuzu’s face had suddenly furrowed itself out of worry.
“Yuya? What’s wrong, Yuya? Are you feeling okay?”
The concern slowly rising in her voice motivated a quick, though unrefined reply to help reassure her. “Eh? Uh, yeah, I am. Thanks…” He paused to gather his thoughts back to his current reality where he stood mere moments away from boarding a plane headed out of Maiami- out of his home- out to yet another unknown world. At least this time he wouldn’t have to cross a single dimension to get there, he prayed.
Yuya took a long, deep breath at the memory as he faced Yuzu again and sighed. “You too, Yuzu.” He felt his hand begin to stretch out slowly before him without his permission- its destination: Yuzu’s face- but caught himself in the act and retracted it smoothly, letting a short chuckle out to mask his inner embarrassment. “...Well then… see you…” His words dragged just as reluctantly as his feet did.
Yuzu narrowed her eyes gently and procured a docile smile, hoping the gesture would make him feel as good as she hoped it would for herself as well. Flattering his previous sigh with one of her own, she found herself sending him off finally. “Safe trip, Yuya.”
Or so it seemed until he stopped just a few paces in front of the boarding gate. She noted Yuya’s sunken head and hurried over to his side. “Yuya? Did you forget something?”
He kept his head low, replying “No, I…” only to disregard his own half-baked excuse not soon after.
Yuzu yearned for a legitimate excuse as well, but managed to discipline herself just enough to forego it, instead pushing herself for both her own sake and Yuya’s. “You should hurry then, Yuya. You don’t want to miss your flight,” she insisted sternly, doing her best to convince both of them that that was true.
Yuya wasn’t buying it, it seemed. “...”
Yuzu couldn’t buy into her own excuse any longer either. “We’re being separated again…”
“Ergh…” The last thing Yuya expected was how easily Yuzu read into him and how fast the sting of her words reached his heart. His flinch jerked his head upwards so Yuzu could see the pain growing steadily in his face.
Only part of her felt guilty for not being persistent enough with her lie but the rest of her actually felt relieved that she wasn’t alone in her bittersweet hell anymore. If anything, something deep within her was glad that Yuya still resisted leaving her as well, though her selfishness only served to further reinforce her guilt.
“So you’ve been thinking about it too, huh?”
“Of course! How could I not?!” Yuya’s retort was almost alarming in its risen amplitude. Then again, how else did she expect he’d react to such triggering words? She didn’t blame him for responding in practically the same way she would. “I get that the situation’s way different this time around, but I still can’t help avoid thinking about it. At least this time I know I don’t have to worry, but either way…” His head once again sunk along with his voice.
“Yuya…” For a moment, she felt the regret try to drag her down in the same fashion Yuya appeared in now, but again she reminded herself that since he was on the same page as her, she could at least write the situation off in a positive direction for them both. “You’re right. There’s nothing to be afraid of this time. We’re being separated again, but only for a bit, okay? It’s for the good for both of us…”
Her selfishness possessed her once more and she casually reached out for the small clump of crimson hair grazing his cheek. His face jumped up in her direction in surprise as she met his stunned expression with a comforting smile.
“Heehee, just don’t grow out your hair too much while you’re away, okay? She played with the long, red clump of hair so familiar to her for a bit longer than he anticipated and felt disappointed the moment she let go. “It’s already gotten kinda long. When you get back, you could use a cut.”
His hand hovered for a bit where Yuzu had just caressed before ruffling the same clump of hair in bewilderment. His face relaxed slightly as he stared back into her sweet eyes. “You know, Yuzu, there is something that I’m afraid of this time…”
It seemed as though they were taking turns in surprise and Yuzu’s face found itself back to the drawing board. “Huh? What is it? Tell me.”
“I’m scared that… I’m afraid of…” Yuya’s eyes strained against the words in his head he was obviously contemplating on presenting. “I’m afraid of leaving you… getting separated from you again… without telling you…”
Yuya’s words continued catching her off guard. “... What,” was all the reply to them that she could muster.
His look reflected an air of severity as he took a deep breath and exhaled, “Yuzu… I wanted to tell you after I got back, but this feeling of dread is getting to me…”
“Yuya… what do you mean?” Yuzu somehow felt whatever could be on his mind she wouldn’t be prepared for.
“Well, it’s something I’ve been meaning to say for a long time now but,” the words couldn’t come to his mouth any more difficulty, but still he urged himself on. “More than just trying to dine the exact words to say it, getting past my own denial of it has been hard enough.”
Yuzu already felt as if she was dying slowly from anticipation but that word from his mouth only served to take away some of the scarce breath she had left in her. “D-Denial?! Yuya-”
Rudely, he cut her gasp for air short as he continued his reckless ambush. “But I’m sick of it, Yuzu. I can’t deny these feelings any longer. I won’t. I don’t know what I’ve been thinking this entire time, but the truth is…” With the sweetest words at the tip of his tongue, Yuya couldn’t help but begin to glow a bit red from their taste as Yuzu looked on at him completely dumbstruck.
“The truth is…?”
“The truth is, Yuzu, I…”
Take a step forward with courage.
“I love you.”
He didn’t flinch this time. Instead he focused only on her eyes and her cheeks, widened and flushed, same as his own.
“Y-Yuya…!”
The next thing he knew he felt possessed again. Except for this sort of possession was unlike what he was used to; it was serene and soothing the longer he spoke to her of the things in his heart even he hadn’t ever dreamed of hearing out loud- coming from his mouth, no less. Either way, this… feeling was something he desperately wanted to release to her custody specifically.
“I think… I don’t even know for how long I’ve been like this… but I can never stop thinking about you, Yuzu. Never.”
“...” And likewise her silence pleaded to him to never stop whatever he was doing right now, and he obliged.
“I know we’ve been friends forever and… I love you for that. You’ve always been there for me… I guess that just flew over my head somehow.” His flushed cheeks only felt warmer with every word but his resolve was great enough now that he didn’t mind getting burned. Heck, he might set himself aflame for Yuzu’s sake and he’d feel relieved. Fearless of the raging flames burning at his heart, he pressed onward. “Even after everything that happened that time when we got separated,... I couldn’t stand being away from you. And I feel like it’s happening again. I remember that time and how much I just wanted to see you… Yuzu… I never want to let you go again.”
The tears welling up in her eyes couldn’t set out the flames he’d ignited in them both now, but for some reason they still felt refreshing. “Yuya… I know…”
Her response came to him like a stray spark of fire and he took himself aback by reflex. “Huh? You.. you do?”
She began to wipe away the tears in exchange for a giggle fleeing her mouth. “Yes, Yuya! I know… I know how you feel… I always know how you feel…”
Suddenly he felt a burst of embarrassment pass over his entire being, and he simply replied, “Oh… Yuzu… I’m sorry for being so dense this entire time-”
She took her turn to retort via rude but endearing interruption. “Idiot! Don’t apologize for that! The truth is… I’ve been holding back my feelings as well…” And now she joined him in stoking the flames.
“Y-Yuzu?!”
She began pouring in her portion of combusting breaths to fuel the flames. “You may be dense, but I can be stubborn… and selfish. Truth be told, I’ve always wanted to hear you say those kinds of words… about me…”
The last of his pent up, heart-wrenching fumes released themselves out of Yuya quite smoothly. “I don’t have anyone else I’d rather say them to, Yuzu. Heh…”
His chuckle felt loudly out of place among their careless whispers and Yuzu blinked back at it in hesitant defiance. “What are you laughing about?” She almost felt annoyed at the daring interruption at that precise moment.
Of course, Yuya found a way to shrug off his manners so nonchalantly, as usual. “No, it’s nothing.” At the very least he was nice enough to offer a caring smile to compensate.
Though it was hard for her to deny that the gesture was basically irresistible, especially after the charming words he’d just said, his own karma began to call him out.
“Boarding call for Flight 518 - Passengers please present your passes at Gate A-5.”
They both looked back at each other with a growing scowl on their faces until Yuya shook the feeling off and spoke before it spoiled the moment.
“Listen, Yuzu, can I ask you something?”
The confidence back in his eyes inspired her own back into hers. “Yeah, of course. Go ahead.”
“I’m heading out there for a while. I’m going to become a better Entertainment Duelist for you and for me and for all of us, but it’ll take some time. But if you’re willing to wait for me, then, when I get back,” his cheeks began to flush again. “Would you… would you like to…” The heat in his cheeks began to dizzy him this time and his eyes traveled around frantically in his bashfulness.
The poor boy seemed lost now but thankfully Yuzu took pity in his excitement. She took his face in her hands and guided his eyes to peer back into hers. “Idiot,” she said, carefully catching his attention once again. “After what we’ve been through? We’re practically married already.”
Ironically, her words broke him out of his fantasy once again, this time with a bit more eagerness and initiative, though he fought against his instincts to embarrass himself again. “H-Hey now… I mean, I’d like that too someday, but… can we slow down just a bit?”
His helplessness contributed to her growing smile’s vigor and she decided she’d miss him enough now that one last tease might not hurt as much in comparison. “Only if you really, really, really want to…”
Her approach cleared his mind completely yet somehow he still found words to speak, though hell if he knew where they were coming from anymore. “I think I have all the time in the world for you, so-”
“Second boarding call for Flight 518 - Passengers please present your passes at Gate A-5 shortly.”
Of course, any sense of urgency he had within him had gone completely oblivious of his reality at the moment.
Yuzu was under the exact same trance. Rather than obliging the boarding call that she knew Yuya had to adhere to eventually, she instead relaxed her arms on Yuya’s shoulders, bringing his face closer to hers delicately. Likewise, she let her eyelids rest a bit too, stopping just short of shutting them entirely, giving her pupils just enough room to lay their gaze comfortably on Yuya’s lips.
“Are you sure about that?”
The only thing Yuya was sure about anymore at that point was…
“Yuzu…”
That he had never felt something so… calming, yet at the same time so pleasantly dizzying and blissfully enticing as the sensation of Yuzu’s soft lips gracefully caressing his own.
The light, clumsy touch began to eat at Yuzu’s strength and she could feel her knees ready to give in under the gentle pressure, but Yuya wasn’t willing to forfeit this newfound indulgence so easily. In keeping to his stubborn oathe of never letting go of her, his hand found its place at the back of Yuzu’s head, his fingers loosely tangling themselves among Yuzu’s pink locks while his other hand guided itself against Yuzu’s back, arm and all, as it pushed her form closer into Yuya’s.
Their release came rather abruptly due to the lack of experience that they both recognized in each other’s tender, satisfied smiles held apart only by their foreheads.
They held their gaze at one another for just a few seconds longer before sighing it away, closing their eyes to help capture the memory of their faces under each other’s spell.
“Our first…,” Yuzu muttered.
“Yeah, ...our first…,” Yuya repeated warmly.
“First.” She smirked at the implication of the word, then was disappointed when she took a step back and her surroundings came back into focus.
“Hmph. If you really had more time for me, we could practice a bit more…”
“Final boarding call for Flight 518 - Passengers must present their passes at Gate A-5 immediately.”
The call for his departure and her playful agitation tugged mercilessly at his heart, but he still managed to reply with a half-jest of his own. “You know, I wanted to leave without regrets but now you’re making me feel a bit regretful…”
He’d never been very skilled at the art of guilt tripping her so Yuzu was surprised at the sudden remorse she felt, but she knew they had no time left to deal with it. “Oops, too bad!” She wasted not a second more to offer him one last smile. “Safe trip, Yuya! ...I love you.”
Her words contradicted her pushing him away from her, though it achieved her goal of setting him off.
“I love you more… Thank you so much, Yuzu…” He wouldn’t turn away from her until the last of his words left his lips for certain this time.
“Get out of here already! Hey,” Yuya stopped in his tracks one last time to catch Yuzu in the middle of one final scold. “If you don’t call or message me everyday, I’m breaking up with yo-”
Yuzu didn’t notice exactly how Yuya closed the distance between them so swiftly but she was glad she did anyway as she lingered on the feeling of the sudden smooch he so rudely interrupted her with before running off with a wave and an improper farewell.
“Tell everyone I said ‘bye’ and ‘I’ll miss them’!”
Of course, she knew she’d had to scold him for that, too. She yelled back at him desperately, “I’m serious!! Yuya!!”
She took a deep breath and sighed away the restless pulse in her chest she had felt in anticipation to one last announcement.
