A/N: This was a Christmas present for my best friend, and it ended up being my longest one-shot to date. Please leave me a review with what you liked, didn't like, and so on! Now, enjoy your kingcrabshipping...

/.../

It happened because there had been two Jacks. One had been a robot, as awake-Yuusei knew, but asleep-Yuusei got carried away.

He woke with a start. His muscles ached from his position partially draped over the D-wheel he'd been repairing, but the more pressing sensation was the sticky dampness in his pants. Glad that everyone else was asleep and the house was dark, Yuusei stumbled upstairs and into his room to change. He threw his dirty boxers and jeans into a corner before crawling under his covers.

Sleep was impossible, though, thanks to his racing heart and mind. In his dream, two Jack Atlases had utterly dominated him. He had been kissed, caressed, sucked, licked, bitten, and scratched by both of them as they whispered his name. Then, when one had taken him from behind as he balanced shakily on hands and knees, the other had given him a hand-job in perfect rhythm.

Eyes closed, Yuusei recalled the heat, the intensity, and hoped the way he'd moaned out Jack's name had only happened in his dream. It was probably more than a little wrong to have imagined Jack's vicious double in such a way, but Yuusei'd enjoyed the dream too much to regret it.

What he did regret was how lustful the dream had left him feeling, and with no outlet. He didn't want to recreate that exact scenario, of course- one Jack was more than enough to deal with. Their relationship hadn't progressed to that level yet, however.

It had started with an abrupt kiss a month ago, and Yuusei was hard-pressed to say who'd initiated it. They'd been sitting side by side on the couch, Jack scanning the latest article Carly had written about him and reading aloud the parts he thought best summarized his greatness. Yuusei'd had to smile at the proud look on Jack's face as he admired his own photograph that took up as much space as the article. He'd scooted closer to look as well, close enough for their arms to touch.

"It looks good, Jack," Yuusei'd complimented.

"Of course! Jack Atlas always looks his best!" And Yuusei'd found himself believing those words as he regarded dark violet eyes, immaculately styled blonde hair, and the muscular physique that was so apparent in his sleeveless black tank. Jack Atlas was attractive, and for a moment, Yuusei'd wondered how Jack perceived him. He wasn't vain like Jack, so he'd dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come, but he'd gotten his answer anyway. Jack had returned his gaze, sweeping his eyes over Yuusei's smaller body. The tension seemed to have come out of nowhere, but that wasn't entirely true; it had been building over the years in imperceptible increments. Now, enough shards had gathered for the atmosphere to fill with lively static. That had been when Yuusei tilted his head back and Jack leaned forward and their lips met.

Neither had closed his eyes, and they'd drawn away almost instantly, Jack leaving to get coffee, Yuusei moving off the couch soon after to resume his endless D-wheel optimizations.

Two weeks had then passed without any mention of the kiss. One afternoon Yuusei'd been in the storage closet, rummaging around for some spare parts. He'd spotted what he needed at the top of a set of shelves, but even after stacking a couple of tires, he couldn't reach it. A hand had appeared in his line of vision, grasping the part and lowering it two shelves. The height and pale skin (as well as the familiar sense of chivalry) had revealed who was behind Yuusei. He hadn't turned around as arms that weren't accustomed to hesitance slowly wrapped around his waist. Relaxing into their warmth, Yuusei had looked up to see Jack's expression. He wasn't looking at Yuusei, but straight ahead at the shelf. Yuusei had spoken his name, bringing him out of his reverie. "You're really short, Yuusei," Jack had needlessly pointed out.

At that, Yuusei had wriggled out of his hold, ignored the flash of disappointment on Jack's face, and placed another tire on the stack. When he'd hopped back up, he was eye-level with Jack. "I never said I minded," Jack had muttered as his arms encircled Yuusei again. That was when they'd shared their second kiss.

It had lasted longer. Despite its slow start, Jack became bold, slipping his tongue into Yuusei's mouth and pressing his body harder against him. Yuusei's tongue had found its way into Jack's mouth as well, until this kiss became something they couldn't brush off.

"Yuusei, are we...?" Jack had asked the next morning at breakfast, after Crow left to make a delivery.

"Do you want to be?"

"I don't want you to belong to anyone but me. Ever."

The tenacity and honesty of his answer warmed Yuusei. "I'm happy with you, Jack. It's what I want, too."

Then had come the obstacle of telling people. Yuusei never liked hiding things from his friends, but this hadn't been a simple thing to bring up. Jack, on the other hand, hadn't seen why he should go through the trouble of letting everyone know, not until he'd seen Aki one afternoon sitting close to Yuusei and blushing when he complimented her prowess as a D-wheeler. He'd suddenly become very keen on the idea of publicly establishing their relationship.

"Wh-what? Really?" Bruno had looked so perplexed.

"I see. Um, congratulations," Aki'd said after recovering from her initial dejection.

Crow had looked back and forth between Yuusei and Jack before crossing his arms and scowling, "I don't believe you."

Witnessing their third kiss had convinced him.

As Yuusei lay in bed, remembering the gradual but promising progress of their relationship, he couldn't help but smile. Jack had always been closer to him than anyone; they'd known each other since they were toddlers. Still, who could have predicted a stronger bond than friendship would one day join them?

Sleep was close again. Yuusei could feel his eyelids growing heavy and he shifted to a more comfortable position on his side. Before he drifted off, he vowed to begin his dream-inspired plan in the morning. He was ready for the next step, so a little coaxing was in order.

His mission was simple: seduce Jack Atlas into bed.

/.../

It was difficult not to think of Yuusei as Jack woke up each morning. After all, it was the clang of metal on metal or the singing of an engine that often served as his alarm clock, and anything to do with mechanics automatically brought his best friend to mind.

Though, now they were more than best friends.

I don't want you to belong to anyone but me. Ever.

His eyes narrowed and he paused mid-stretch when he remembered those words. They held a truth that burned in Jack's core; Yuusei meant more to him than anyone else ever had or ever would, and he never wanted someone else to have him. He could make sure that didn't happen in the future, but he had his suspicions about the past and one Kiryu Kyosuke.

Downstairs, he heard Crow shouting a good-bye to Yuusei, throwing in some insult about Jack's laziness that he chose to ignore. Yuusei must have replied, but his voice was so quiet Jack couldn't hear it. He got out of bed and left his room to stand looking down over the railing. Yuusei's head perked up when he heard the door to Jack's bedroom open and he looked up and over his shoulder. "Good morning."

Jack returned the greeting before heading down the hall to take a shower. When he was fully satisfied with appearance and attire- not that it ever varied, but that was okay, because this outfit flattered him perfectly- he went downstairs for breakfast.

He prepared some instant coffee that wasn't half as good as the kind at the cafe, but Crow had kept threatening him and Yuusei had fixed up an old coffeemaker he'd salvaged, so Jack was at least trying to consume the weak blend. He turned around as he drank from his mug, and the sight before him caused him to swallow more of the liquid than he'd intended, scalding his throat.

Yuusei had stood and was facing away from Jack as he pulled his shirt off. The fabric inched up over his tan skin and mussed his hair when he freed it from his head. Jack recomposed himself and carefully sipped his coffee as Yuusei went back to work as though nothing had happened.

Nothing had happened, Jack told himself. It was a hot, humid morning, and Yuusei hadn't just taken his shirt off more slowly and dramatically than was necessary; that was clearly Jack's imagination.

That didn't mean he was going to waste the opportunity it presented. The muscles of Yuusei's back and arms stood out as he dismantled part of a motorcycle in order to access its inner mechanisms. He was much shorter than Jack, but still so strong.

How long had Jack been attracted to Yuusei? He felt it had begun shortly before Kiryu had arrived and formed Team Satisfaction. It had been easier to deny it, to swallow his envy when Yuusei and Kiryu became closer and closer, than to admit he desired more than friendship from Yuusei. Two years of separation in Neo Domino should have helped him move on, but it hadn't. Being apart from Yuusei only made him think about him more, and he realized the extent of his feelings then. When stupid Bruno had shown up, Jack had fleetingly feared that Yuusei would be stolen away from him again.

It was pathetic for a King to be afraid, and anyway, Jack hadn't even needed a potential rival to be increasingly tempted to just push Yuusei up against a wall and kiss him every time he got too close. Now, Jack thought that the best part of their first kiss was that it had been mutual.

Jack put his mug down and walked over to Yuusei. He crouched down and peered over his shoulder at the metal maze of the bike's insides. "What are you doing?"

Yuusei answered without stopping the quick, sure movements of his hands. "I think the restrictors in the oil passages are being blocked by something. I'm checking for metal or anything else that could be in the way. But, that doesn't really interest you, does it? You're not Bruno."

"S-so! I can still understand it!"

Yuusei sounded amused at his retort. "It's okay if you don't, Jack. Could you pass me the lubricant?"

"The what?"

"Oil. For the engine." He pointed at a bottle near Jack's feet.

Jack grumbled, "Right," and gave him the bottle. Yuusei set it down without opening it and looked back to him. "Don't worry. I would never kiss Bruno," he said and pressed his lips to Jack's. They kissed until it became uncomfortable for Yuusei to stay half-turned around, and resumed as soon as he'd adjusted himself to where he was standing on his knees. Jack's legs were crossed on the floor in front of him, his face turned towards Yuusei's.

Kissing was addictive. Yuusei's work was forgotten as the minutes passed and touching joined the kissing. Yuusei placed a hand behind Jack's neck, his calloused skin warm against him. Fingers danced up and down Yuusei's bare back as Jack leaned closer to him, relishing the body heat resonating between them.

Jack became aware that Yuusei's hand was edging downward, slipping under the collar of his shirt. The slow pace was driving him mad, but before he could demand for Yuusei to stop teasing him, the door to the garage banged open and Lua chirped, "Good morning, Yuusei, Jack, Crow!"

Yuusei and Jack sprang away from each other, Jack quickly smoothing down his clothes as Lua and Luca raced down the stairs. Lua was holding up some card and bragging about having won it as Luca shook her head at his embellished storytelling. Jack wanted to glare at them until they got the message and left but Yuusei ruined his efforts by joining the conversation about the card's merits. Jack made sure that his displeasure with this turn of events was well-known by loudly grumbling as he stomped back to his room. People shouldn't interrupt his Yuusei time, which was whenever he wanted it to be!

/.../

At first, Yuusei thought Jack wanted him just as much as he wanted Jack. The kissing suggested it, as did the thorough caressing that had become the norm. But a couple of weeks passed without any major progress. It wasn't like Yuusei was only driven by lust. What made him the happiest was the security of his bond with Jack, the small talks they had at random hours of the day, the fact that they could have whole conversations through mere glances, and the duels that were always invigorating. However, it would be a lie to say he didn't want to sleep with him, and soon. Maybe that was because he already knew how amazing it felt to take that step with someone.

With all this in mind, he decided to enter phase two of his plan. His bedroom was situated between Crow and Jack's, and his bed was against the side closest to Jack's room. When Crow had to work overtime one night, Yuusei set the plan into motion.

He slipped his pants off and settled into bed. He was aroused from just thinking about Jack, so when he started to touch himself, his body responded in no time. His hand stroked up and down as he pictured Jack being there, touching him and making him moan. A gasp escaped his throat as he sped up the movement. Until then, Jack had been walking around in his room, but at Yuusei's gasp the sound of footsteps stopped. The idea that he'd gotten Jack's full attention turned him on even more, and he moaned louder.

He sucked on a few fingers before inserting one into himself. He stretched himself as he kept stroking his cock, adding another finger and pressing deeper, rubbing that sensitive spot. The combined sensations did the trick, and he came with a rough whine. "Jaaack..."

/.../

Sleep wouldn't come to Jack thanks to hearing his name spoken through the wall in such a sultry, satisfied tone. Yuusei had thought of him- while doing that- and loudly enough for Jack to hear! It couldn't have been on purpose, right? If it was on purpose, Yuusei was just asking for Jack to storm his room right then and- But it had to have been an accident that Jack overheard it all.

He tossed and turned, and every time his eyes closed he imagined a naked Yuusei writhing underneath him. The idea of going to Yuusei grew in appeal, but Jack thought it would be better if Yuusei came to him.

He wondered, had Yuusei gone to Kiryu in the past? Had he wanted Kiryu, and did he want Jack just as much now? Even that wouldn't be good enough. Jack wanted Yuusei to desire him more than he'd ever desired anyone. When he was sure that was how Yuusei felt, he could finally relax. But again, he wouldn't bring this up. Yuusei had to make it known himself.

Preferably sooner than later, if he insisted on trying Jack's patience like this.

/.../

"This movie's boring," Jack complained. He looked at Yuusei, who was sitting next to him on the sofa, but he didn't get an answer. Yuusei seemed absorbed by the movie, which Jack thought was weird. He'd never known Yuusei to be interested in movies or television.

The film was some kind of western with sunsets and horses and bars. It became duller by the second, so Jack decided to entertain himself. As Yuusei remained transfixed on the screen, Jack placed an arm around his shoulders. He leaned over and bit the tip of his ear before lowering his head to sucking on his neck. Yuusei tilted his head to give Jack more room but otherwise did not respond.

Jack took that as a challenge. He pulled Yuusei into his lap facing him and violently kissed him. Yuusei kissed back, grinding his hips against Jack's. Jack thrust up in response, causing Yuusei to gasp.

Jack pushed Yuusei down onto the sofa, leaning over him with a hungry look in his eyes. "Isn't this better than that movie? What was so great about it, anyway?"

"It was a sequel. I watched the first one a long time ago with Kiryu."

Kiryu. He drew away from Yuusei, grin fading. "Jack, what's wrong?"

Naturally, Jack was furious that Yuusei had been thinking of Kiryu fucking Kyosuke while sitting next to him, but all he said was, "Forget it."

"No, Jack, just-"

"It doesn't matter!" Jack abandoned the basement for the sanctity of his room. With the lock secured behind him, he stretched out on his bed, arms folded.

I might have overreacted.

He dismissed that thought. There was no way he'd apologize for what had happened. Especially not when he still didn't know exactly what Yuusei's feelings for their former teammate were.

/.../

Was it because I said Kiryu's name? Was that enough to upset Jack? Yuusei sighed. Jack could be a real idiot sometimes. But Yuusei knew it went deeper than Jack's touchy personality; he must have been thinking about Kiryu beforehand for him to have blown up like that.

It was simple. Jack was jealous, and he didn't even know how well-founded that jealousy was.

What made it worse was that he'd been so close. Jack had acted bolder than ever, and Yuusei was going to return his lustful intentions tenfold. Now Yuusei had to get them back to that point while simultaneously soothing Jack's envy.

Unfortunately, Jack had decided avoiding him was the appropriate course of action. It was frustrating that he couldn't see how childish he was being. Yuusei quickly developed the perfect phase three to deal with all of this. It involved cornering Jack where he couldn't run away.

Two mornings after Jack's temper tantrum, Yuusei waited until he heard the shower at the end of the hall turn on. The sound of splashing punctuated Jack's deep singing voice. Yuusei stood outside the door with a screwdriver in hand. It took less than two seconds for him to unlock the door, and there he was, leaning against the sink as Jack shouted, "Who's there!?"

"It's me."

Jack poked his head out from behind the curtain, looking royally pissed. "Yuusei? What the hell are you doing, I'm taking a shower. Get out!"

"No." His eyes flicked to the mirror, which was fogging up from all the steam. He could faintly make out his reflection, the determination in his eyes. "I need to tell you something."

"So tell me later!"

Rather than point out how hard that would be if Jack kept evading him, Yuusei got straight to it. "It's about Kiryu."

Jack narrowed his eyes and pulled the curtain shut again, probably wishing it was a door he could slam. The flowing water wasn't loud enough to drown Yuusei out.

He said, "I'm with you, Jack. I haven't even seen Kiryu in months. There's no reason for you to be acting like I'm in love with him."

"You were, weren't you?" he demanded gruffly.

Yuusei breathed out slowly. "I won't apologize for loving Kiryu. No matter what. But he's not my boyfriend now, is he? You are."

/.../

Jack remained silent and immobile behind the curtain as Yuusei assured him that his feelings for Kiryu were in the past. It was a great and terrible thing to hear; it confirmed that they had been in a relationship, but at least now Jack knew Yuusei was only interested in him. One thing still bothered him, though.

"Did you have sex with Kiryu?" he asked.

"Yes."

Jack mulled that over. Yuusei was not a virgin and he was. It was hard to decide what was more irritating, that Yuusei had more experience than him or that now he kept hearing Kiryu say "Satisfy me!" in his head. "I knew it," he finally said.

"Any more questions about the past you'd like to ask?" Yuusei asked dryly.

"None. So get out."

The sound he heard next was not that of a door opening and someone shuffling out. It sounded like a zipper, and then a soft thud. Trying to squash the inexplicable nervous tension in his chest, Jack coughed. "What are you doing, Yuusei?"

"You're about to reap the benefits of my being with Kiryu."

The curtain opened and a naked Yuusei stepped into the shower. Jack sputtered, torn between closing his eyes, pushing Yuusei out of the stall, or simply reveling in the view. Lust won out and as he stepped back to make room for Yuusei, he stared at his body and vaguely wondered why it had taken him so long to admit he was gay. He wouldn't look twice at Carly or any of his other fangirls, but Yuusei's body captivated him. Hell, all of Yuusei captivated him.

The anger and jealousy he'd been keeping a death grip on the last few days dissipated. He pulled Yuusei to him and claimed his lips. He couldn't avoid him anymore, because Yuusei belonged with him. He'd come to him, and when he whispered in his ear "I love you, Jack," Jack knew he'd never leave.

They moved their hands over each other's body, through each other's hair. Jack loved the feel of muscle under water-slicked skin and his lips soon joined his hands as he kissed Yuusei everywhere. "Do you want me?" he asked, just to hear an affirmation.

Yuusei smiled up at him. Black bangs stuck to his forehead, and Jack brushed them aside. "Yes. At least as much as you want me." For emphasis, he wrapped a hand around Jack's erection.

Jack groaned. "Not in here, Yuusei." Without wasting another moment, he lifted Yuusei with ease and carried him to his bedroom, leaving the hallway drenched. Neither of them were too concerned about housekeeping at the moment.

Jack dropped Yuusei on the bed and in an instant they'd resumed their kissing. Moans escaped Jack's mouth as Yuusei pumped a hand up and down his length. Through the haze due to the blood rushing to his lower half and the delicious sensations in his mouth, Jack found it hard to believe it was really Yuusei giving him so much pleasure after he'd been waiting so long for him. Yuusei'd said something about Jack "reaping the benefits" of his experience, hadn't he? Well, if Yuusei had been stupid enough not to wait for him, he'd better damn well make sure this was the best experience of Jack's life.

A sudden wave of inferiority swept over him. Suppose he didn't match up to Kiryu? Jack banished that thought; he'd have Yuusei begging for his touch in no time.

He lowered his head to Yuusei's thighs to kiss and nibble the sensitive skin there. He grinned as Yuusei arched his back, hands falling to his sides. Jack moved to his stomach, leaving tiny bite-marks as he went. His lips hovered for a moment over the scar Kiryu had given Yuusei before kissing it as well.

"Jack..."

"Yes, Yuusei?"

The want and impatience in Yuusei's voice made him even harder. "I want you to fuck me. Now." One side of his mouth curved up. "Or would you prefer that I fuck you?"

"In your dreams!" Jack growled, pinning Yuusei to the bed to let him know who was in charge.

"Sometimes," Yuusei responded with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Do you have any lube?"

Jack blinked. He hadn't thought of that, he'd been so caught up in the moment. Luckily, Yuusei was prepared. "There's some in my room, in the closet."

Jack retrieved the bottle in record time. He crawled back onto the bed with Yuusei and squirted some onto his hand, spreading it thickly over his fingers.

After several moments Yuusei raised an eyebrow and said, "That should be enough, Jack."

"Hmmph, I know what I'm doing!" Or at least he prayed to the Crimson Dragon that he knew what he was doing as inserted one finger into Yuusei. He kept glancing at Yuusei's face to make sure he wasn't hurting him. Yuusei nodded to let him know he could continue.

He stretched him more with his second and third finger. He even earned a few moans when all three fingers were knuckle-deep and moving inside him. "R-ready, Jack," Yuusei breathed.

Jack spread a generous amount of lube onto his cock, his nerves on fire with anticipation. He spread Yuusei's legs more and, taking a deep breath, he entered him.

The feeling of Yuusei around him was indescribable. Euphoria made its way to every cell in his body and for moment Jack was frozen in bliss. One urgent plea from Yuusei brought him out of his reverie. He pulled back and thrust forward again and again, knowing he was flushed and grunting but not caring about anything but Yuusei. Yuusei cried out his name as the thrusts continued. He wrapped his legs tightly around Jack's waist and Jack managed to go even deeper, Yuusei's loudest cry yet his reward.

Jack couldn't last much longer, but he wanted to. Wasn't Yuusei always prattling about the bond of friendship? The bond they were forging that very moment went beyond that.

Seeing Yuusei's hand inch towards his own erection made him realize he'd neglected thinking of the other's release. Jack knocked the hand aside and wrapped his own around Yuusei's cock, trying to time his movements around it with his thrusts into Yuusei's body but not doing a very good job of it. It was enough, though; Yuusei came shouting his name, and that glorious sound made Jack follow suit. He pulled out of Yuusei and lay beside him, throwing an arm across him.

He almost felt ridiculous for saying such a sentimental thing, but he knew he'd feel even more stupid if he didn't. "I love you."

/.../

Yuusei tested the engine out, glad to hear it purring smoothly instead of choking and hacking as it had been a few hours ago. Other than the sounds of repair, the garage was silent. Crow was sitting in the kitchen, reading updates on the WRGP. When he finished that, he left the papers on the table and strolled over to Yuusei.

"So," he began innocently, "Jack was in an unusually good mood this morning."

"Hm." Yuusei dug around in his toolbox for a wrench.

"He even said he'd pay me back for all the coffee he's bought. Not that I believe that."

"You probably shouldn't get your hopes up," Yuusei agreed.

Seeing he wasn't going to get a rise out of Yuusei by beating around the bush, Crow sighed. "Man, Yuusei. I mean, you and Kiryu, I could kinda see that. You two were inseparable from the moment you met. But how'd you fall for Jack Atlas?"

Yuusei replaced the wrench in the toolbox and turned to Crow. "Jack's arrogant, but he can learn from past mistakes. He's inconsiderate, but he never compromises his principles. He's stubborn, but fearless." He shrugged, the informal movement a contrast to his eloquent words. "I love him."

Crow shook his head. Only Yuusei could be so unabashed in stating his feelings. "Well, if you two are happy, I'm happy. But I'd be happier if he actually paid for the coffee!"

Yuusei laughed softly, and before he turned back to his work, Crow thought he caught a glimpse of a smirk. "Then I'll do my best to keep him satisfied."