Chapter Text
Tristan liked the look of his skin against Duke's; burnished tan and creamy gold. He was a little paler now, deep in a Sapporo winter. Next summer, weekends on the road and at the beach would render the contrast even more dramatic.
The thought of time was comforting now. Next summer. Another year. Duke wasn't going anywhere. Not for a few more weeks, anyway.
Duke slept beside him, breathing slow and soft, forehead pressed into Tristan's chest. When Tristan rolled over, Duke snuggled into his back and flung an arm over his waist. The warm cocoon of blankets lulled Tristan back down into sleepy contentment.
They worked hard to get here. Running towards one fear set off a chain reaction of others, until Tristan wondered how much courage one guy was expected to have. There were disappointed parents to confront and friendships to mend. Living situations to navigate. Boundaries to set and maintain. Tristan would almost have chosen a mountain of immigration paperwork over his first awkward dinner with Joey. Serenity had been the bridge between them when things got spiky. Hard to be too brittle with each other for long when there was a baby at the table. Serenity's son had all of her sweetness and her huge, kind eyes. He made them all gooey with a smile. If his oldest nephew had been more like this, Tristan thought, babysitting wouldn't have been such a chore. As it stood now, he couldn't wait to start.
He felt the same way about his own life, really. Facing things down was awful, but it started to get easier. Decisions got easier. The shape of Tristan's life was starting to look a lot more like something he'd envisioned.
It all still felt liminal though, in spite of the good. Tristan's move back to Japan happened less than three months ago. Most of his possessions were still in boxes; his bike was still waiting on certification. He had a few text messages and a voicemail from Rick, asking him for an update. He missed the heat of the desert. The cold here soaked into his bones every time he went outside. It all felt strange. Foreign and familiar at the same time.
But it wasn't bad. It wasn't perfect and didn't have to be; Tristan no longer had requirements for perfection. He missed his place by the canyon, but the memories had a tang of refuge, like a favorite hiding spot. Amarillo had been a haven, maybe a place to get some perspective, but not a home. Sapporo might not quite be home yet, but the months of work to settle into his new place left Tristan feeling more grounded than he'd felt, even before things in Domino fell apart. He had a good feeling about his chances of finding home, eventually. He'd figured out what he wanted, and there was room for him in this city. Room to change, to be someone without a duel disk. Room for the bad memories and the hopeful dreams.
And he wasn't alone.
Tristan had been surprised to find his friends so supportive. Had been surprised to find his friends at all, really, after his sudden departure. Téa especially shocked him; from the moment the news reached her, she'd regularly called and emailed to offer support and a sounding board. When he'd officially arrived for his first night at the apartment, she even flew back during her international tour for a surprise housewarming. He and Duke had dragged themselves back to the apartment, footsore and grumpy with bags of necessities, when she arrived on his doormat with sacks of fried chicken, Yugi, Joey, Serenity and her family in tow. The empty space suddenly took on a glow and magic of its own, filled with voices and the smell of hot food. There was joy in the presence of Tristan's friends again. He found that even without the glue of tournaments and missions binding them together, he still enjoyed them for exactly who they were.
And of course, there was Duke.
Duke had been alongside him for nearly all of it, doing his own work. Finding a way to touch his own past. It wasn't peace; would probably never be peace, but something that quietly rhymed. Listening, sitting with Duke as he moved through those memories had brought another shift between them. Tristan stroked Duke's arm, down to the knuckles and the slightly raised edge of a silver and jade ring. They were giving this thing between them the time it deserved. Duke found a place halfway between Industrial Illusions and Tristan, having also decided that Domino wasn't really the place for him. He was busier than ever these days, but he made the time. Tristan surrendered his spare bedroom for Duke's remote office and made as much space for the chaos as he could. Things might be starting to get serious again, he thought. There were plans incubating, a time and a place for sharing a promise coming to fruit.
This time, he was ready for it. Ready to lean into it.
He tangled his fingers with the drowsy, pliant ones curved on his side, and smiled at the chime of metal on metal. Silver on gold.