In the weeks that followed the Showcase nothing significant happened. Yuma and Shark openly showed their affection for each other proudly. This didn't bother their friends, except Vector, who would glare at them mostly. Vector's staring did bother Yuma, but nowhere near as much as Shark, who would glare back at Vector threateningly. Vector didn't do anything else to the couple, or go near Yuma's house because he had had the fear god put into him by Rio, Kari and Yuma's mother Mira. What the three ladies threatened to do to him was unspeakable. This meant that Vector got no end of torment from Alito and Girag for being afraid of three girls, more specifically the two human women.
Yuma and Shark did have to put up with plenty on homophobic comments and abuse, but cared very little for it, since they had the support of their friends, and they were happy as long as they had each other, growing closer with every pacing day. But they didn't spend every waking moment with each other, knowing that they did need to spend time with other people too, to maintain a healthy relationship. However, they did miss each other when they were apart.
Shark had told Yuma that Duman and Mizar were looking into why he had been able to hurt Vector, and the reasons behind it. Yuma had recalled that the will of Astral world, a being by the name of Elphias, had told him that he contained a chaos spark, hoping it would be helpful. It wasn't. Duman and Mizar couldn't seem to find anything, causing Mizar to give up. But Duman was determined to find the answers so kept on looking, with occasional help from both Shark and Rio.
At the start of June, Yuma and Shark, along with Kite, entered a duel monsters tournament. Kazuma and Mira watched Yuma's matches on the internet since they were had left in May on a six month expedition to dig up so ruins that had been discovered by using LIDAR scans and crop marks. The final was between Kite and Yuma. Yuma having to defeat a visiting friend called Anna Kaboom, who had an explosive personality and pink and orange hair, to get there. Shark had lost in a very close match against Kite, but he was privately glad he had lost, because he didn't want to duel Yuma unless it was a friendly casual match up.
The duel between Yuma and Kite had the crowd on the edge of their seats, most torn between who to support as the match was very close. Each duellist able come back from set backs turn after turn. By turn 10 both Yuma and Kite were down to 500 hundred life points a piece and each had a face down trap on the field. It was Yuma's turn and it just so happened he had drawn into Mystical Space Typhoon, which he used to clear the way and attack Kite with Gagaga Magician, which he normal summoned from his hand.
Going into July, and therefore the start of the summer break, Yuma was seemingly clear of any lingering emotional pain concerning Astral. In fact if you were to look at him, you wouldn't have known that just 15 months ago he was someone who had been depressed and even considered suicided. Shark of course knew the scars of Astral would remain, like cracks on a fixed china cup.
There had also been no developments in the looming danger that was coming, despite Yuma still having his strange nightmare, with the light and dark anomalies. This led them to conclude it was nothing and might have been Yuma's unconscious mind playing ticks on him. That was until Rio had started warning them about a coming destructive power and which triggered Yuma's dreams to become more intense, but no new information was forth coming. So they didn't know what they were looking or waiting for. But that all changed on the first day of August.
Shark had invited Yuma over to his place, since Rio was having a sleep over at Tori's and the other Barian's were in Barian world for their vacation. It'd had been a week since they had been alone together since Yuma had been grounded by Haru for breaking one of her favourite ornate plates. It had been and accident.
"I just glad your Grandma is letting you out of the house again." Shark said joining Yuma on the large, comfortable sofa in his font room, after returning from the kitchen with a tray with a jug of juice and two glasses on it, that he'd insisted on carrying.
"Yeah," Yuma agreed, he'd been beaming all day about his freedom, "I was getting tired of seeing the same walls all day."
"What about the visitation hours?" Shark asked with grimace, putting an arm over Yuma.
"That as well." Yuma agreed, remembering that Kari had been watching him and Shark each time Shark had gone over. What had particularly annoyed Yuma was how Kari would cough every time he and Shark went to kiss, and he could have sworn he had heard 'get a room' poorly hidden each time. Also that Kari had told Shark he ticklish. That Shark had used to his benefit a couple of times since finding out.
"What was so important about that plate anyway?" Shark asked genuinely confused.
"It was a gift from Master Roku." Yuma answered, "I think they might actually have crushes on each other."
"Thanks Yuma," Shark said sarcastically, his face wrinkling in disgust, leaning away from Yuma slightly, "I really needed that image."
"What image?" Yuma asked clueless.
"Yuma, think about it." Shark said. Yuma looked at Shark blankly, "You aren't that innocent. What do we do a lot of?"
"Oh." Yuma vocalised realising what Shark was talking about, "Wait, ewww, eww, eww, gross! Shark I didn't need the image of Grandma kissing anyone. It's bad enough seeing my parents kiss. Eww!"
Yuma started to scramble to the other side of the luxurious sofa, but Shark caught his ankle.
"You put the image in my head first." Shark said playfully pulling Yuma back towards himself, until he was laying across his lap, "Perhaps I need to teach you a lesson." Shark had one arm holding Yuma in place, while his other hand hovering over Yuma's ribs.
"No, Shark, please not that!" Yuma begged in a panic, knowing Shark was threatening to tickle him, "I didn't mean ...hahahaha!"
Shark let his fingers dance, spiderlike over Yuma's rib cage. Yuma's eyes began to water from the laughter and the tickles, thrashing to try and get free, making sure to not accidently hit Shark with his legs.
"Had enough?" Shark asked easing up slightly.
"Yes, I've learnt my lesson." Yuma gasped. Shark stopping tickling Yuma, laughing at his reddened face, and his panting. He didn't let Yuma up though. Not that Yuma wanted to sit back up.
"So, what do you want to watch?" Shark asked, smiling affectionately down at the still slightly breathless Yuma.
"Last season of Game of Thrones." Yuma suggested, "I still haven't finished catching up on the shows I missed when I was still...well, you know."
"Trust me, the last season of Game of Thrones is shit," Shark said, kissing Yuma behind the ear, "any other ideas, because I don't want to torture you with that?"
"Tori won't shut up about a show called the last airbender." Yuma said, recalling he had made a note to watch it so he knew what his friend was talking about once she got started talking about it. Which was a lot.
"Ok then." Shark smiled, reaching over and taking the remote and switching his Netflix on and scrolling until he found the show. Yuma watched and found he liked the story and art style of the cartoon. It was both funny, and had deep characters that were interesting. His favourite had to be the one named Zuko, the exiled Prince of the fire nation. Most likely because he was a bit of a loner and moody, like Shark used to be. Then he imagined Shark in the uniform of the fire nation and could see him being a fire bender. He had the temp for it, at times. Yuma giggled with affection at the thought.
"What's tickled you?" Shark asked.
"You," Yuma answered, "I think you'd make a great fire bender. Zuko kind of makes me think of you."
"So you think I'm an entitled, selfish, moody, hot headed Prince?" Shark said with mock anger. Yuma got up and sat astride Shark's lap, facing the purplette, smiling warmly. As Yuma's scarlet eyes met Shark's blue eyes, Yuma was stuck with how hard he had fallen for Shark, and he felt like he was still falling when he looked into the ocean of Shark's eyes. It was like he was looking into his very soul, and Yuma loved what he saw.
"You're right, Shark," Yuma sighed happily, wondering how Shark had ever chosen him, "you're not a selfish, entitled, prideful prince. You're the skilled duellist, loyal friend, honourable leader, and brave protector that I feel in love with. Zuko doesn't measure up to you."
Shark's mouth fell open, surprise widening his eyes, as he took in what Yuma had said. His mind seemed jammed. Yuma loved him. Happy tears appeared in Shark's eyes before Yuma's words had sunk in properly. He hadn't known how much he had wanted to hear Yuma say until just now. Even if he'd had the worst day ever, this moment alone would have made this day Shark's best day ever.
Shark pushed Yuma off his lap and onto the sofa cushions, on his back. Some where in Shark's he noted that the episode of the last airbender that was playing in the back ground. It was an episode part way through season one called 'the blue spirit'. He didn't care what it was about, it had just become his favourite episode of the show as he hovered over Yuma, his tears dropping on the tanned face beneath him.
"You ok Shark?" Yuma asked concerned and surprised by Shark's reaction. "I didn't do something wrong, I did I?" Yuma reached up a hand to Shark's pale face, to wipe the tears away. Shark leaned into the touch.
"You didn't do anything wrong," Shark answered softly, "you've never done anything wrong to me. You've been saving me since the day we met. That's only one of the reasons that I love you too, Yuma. You're my hero." Shark closed the distance and locked his lips with Yuma's in the most passionate kiss the couple had ever shared in the five months they had been dating. They broke apart briefly, to catch their breaths before starting again. This time Shark sought entry to Yuma's mouth. It was granted. Their tongues danced together, leaving nothing unexplored.
They were panting when they finally broke apart. Shark resting his forehead against Yuma's his shoulder length purple locks forming a curtain blocking everything out. Yuma had a blissful look on his face.
Shark then rolled onto his side and rested his head over Yuma's heart, which was pounding. They wound their arms around each other, neither needing to say anything else. In this moment their worlds were perfect. Watching the TV in a comfortable quite. It was with some reluctance that Shark had to get to answer a call of nature.
While Shark was out of the room, Yuma sat up and grabbed his glass of juice from the coffee table. Smiling he placed his hand over his still pounding heart. Shark's taste still in his mouth. Euphoria was understatement to describe how he was feeling. He belonged to Shark. He knew it, as he sipped at his juice.
Then the room was engulfed in a blinding light that had formed in front of Yuma. Yuma had to close his eyes and look away, raising his hand to shield his eyes. The intensity built, seemingly unendingly.
After seconds that felt like years, the light started to dim. When it had gone completely, Yuma felt something hanging around his neck, when their hadn't been anything before the light had appeared. He felt a metallic something on his chest. Yuma felt it with his fingers. It was like a broken triangle. He opened his and looked down at his chest. There in his small hands was a familiar key. A knot formed in his stomach as he looked up, directly. His jaw went slack and he dropped the glass in his hand. It shattered on the floor, juice spreading over the floor until the surface tension stopped its spread.
"Hello Yuma."