Title: Bonded
Author: Kleptomaniac Can Opener
Rating: Mature
Pairing: Jack x Yusei
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's is a Studio Gallop production.

Summary: They're the two halves of a whole, destined to a cycle of love and pain.

NOTES: Read the rest of the story at utensil-drawer .livejournal .com
Also, I don't watch the 4Kids version. I think it's crap.

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Prologue

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His earliest memories are of shadows. Dark shadows, friendly shadows, vicious shadows that tried to swallow him whole.
Shadows have lives of their own. Even now he can see them moving with life and purpose. They don't bother him so much anymore. He's grown stronger, learned their tricks. A few he can even control.

It's a strange ability, but useful. It's not something he's ever told anyone either. He's seen what happens to people when they're singled out as different. He will never forget the face of the man he saw lynched from the streetlamp, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and eyes rolled into the back of his head.

So he keeps the shadows to himself, listening to their whispers and sometimes speaking back. There are days where his only company are those blankets of darkness that wrap gentle arms around him.

But there are times where he wishes he had someone to share this secret with. Someone he could call friend, or better yet, one he could call Bonded as the shadows say. A Bonded would never leave him, no matter how far apart they are. A Bonded would love him unconditionally and would accept the same in return.
A Bonded isn't easy to find.

He made friends, not many but they are true to their hearts and have good souls. The shadows like them, and they're amused by the puppet games the little one plays on the walls. But it's a long time before he finally finds The One.

Jack Atlus causes his breath to catch in his throat.

Everything inside of him tingles when the blond is around. His heart trembles with every word he speaks and his blood boils when their eyes match. Even his shadows seem to quiver around him.

They whisper in his ears about the man. 'He's the one,' they say, 'but be careful. Be careful.' The shadows waver and wrap around him whenever they continue hissing their warnings about Jack. 'Be careful. He is love and hate, sugar and poison. He will cherish you and hurt you. Be careful, little shadowling.'

So I only watch Jack Atlus, the man who is light that is wanted and is bane. But even that brings warnings from the shadows.

'There's no use in watching the harshness of the light. There's no use watching the gentleness either. Light is light, dark is dark. He is the one, your Bond, but he will hurt you too.'

The shadows wrap around my legs and pull me back when I think of going to him. They blanket over my body and hug me to the walls. 'Don't go to that one.'
"But I want to."
'We know, we know, shadowling. But light is dangerous, it will only hurt.'

Pain doesn't bother me. I want him, I want Jack, I want my Bonded. My soul pulls and twists to be with him. Light or dark, yin or yang, he is mine and I am his.

"Let me go. I will go to him."
'No, don't go.'
"I will. I will go."

The shadows loosen their hold on me like reluctant mothers. I touch the edge of one, apologizing. "I'll return. Hurt or not, I will live, I will return."
'Be careful.'

I don't want to only watch anymore. I want to touch and feel. He won't refuse me, I know he won't.

"Jack." Standing in his presence is hard. I feel the heat building up inside, almost like my skin is burning. When his eyes lock with mine, my blood boils within my veins.
"Yusei." He smirks and wordlessly invites me into his room, locking the door behind us.

I wonder if he talks to the light like I talk to the shadows?

But I let the thoughts drift away when HIS arms finally wrap around me. It feels better than I imagined. I'm finally complete with him here, holding me close and biting my neck. Harshness and gentleness, I can handle the light.

Fill me with your light, I will fill you with my darkness. Become tied to me, become mine as I become yours. Be the one I can whisper secrets to, and I will hold the ones you tell me.

Shadow and light.
Yin and Yang.
Soulmates.
Bonded.