My Shape-Shifting Lover

The room was quiet, but their hearts weren't.

The soft hum of the night outside their window barely registered. All that existed in that moment was warmth—raw and real—trapped between their tangled limbs. The bedsheets were twisted beneath them, damp with sweat and the remnants of passion. But none of it mattered. What mattered was how close they were now. How close they always wanted to be.

Shinji lay on his back, breathing slow and steady, his arms wrapped tightly around Yumi, who rested with his cheek pressed against Shinji's bare chest. His fingers lazily ran through Yumi's hair, still messy from the hours they'd spent wrapped around each other. Their bodies were so close there was no space between them, their legs entwined, skin to skin, heart to heart.

Yumi cupped his cheek gently, lifting his head just enough to gaze into his eyes. They looked tired—but not from exhaustion. From the overwhelming, soul-consuming intimacy they'd just shared. He leaned in and kissed him again. A soft, slow kiss. The kind that said "I love you" a thousand times in one gentle press of lips.

Shinji smiled against his mouth, his hand gliding across Yumi's waist, anchoring him even closer. "You're going to wear my lips out at this rate," he murmured.

"You already wore everything else out," Yumi whispered, his voice breathy but warm. He brushed his nose against Shinji's. "Ten rounds, Shinji. Ten. What the hell are you made of?"

Shinji chuckled, smug and lazy, the sound vibrating against Yumi's skin. "You say that like you weren't moaning my name like a prayer for every single one."

Yumi buried his face in Shinji's neck, groaning. "Don't remind me."

"But you're cute when you're a mess," he teased, pressing a kiss to Yumi's temple. "Honestly, I should be the one asking you what you're made of. You came so hard, I'm surprised the neighbors didn't file a noise complaint."

Yumi pinched his side gently, making him wince with a grin. "You're a menace."

"And you love it," he replied, kissing him again.

They kissed every few minutes, as if their lips needed to constantly reaffirm that this was real. That they were real. That this connection, this home they found in each other's bodies, wasn't going anywhere.

Yumi traced his fingers along Shinji's collarbone, his voice soft. "You don't get tired. Like… ever."

Shinji shrugged playfully. "Guess I was built to love you a little too well."

Yumi snorted, but his smile quickly faded into something more tender. He shifted, laying fully on top of him, their bodies flush. His heart beat in sync with Shinji's, and his fingers cupped his face, thumbs brushing his cheekbones.

"I wish I could freeze this moment," Yumi whispered. "Just stay like this. Forever."

Shinji looked up at him, brushing a lock of hair behind his ear. "If we stay like this forever, we're never getting out of bed."

"I'd be fine with that," Yumi said. "But… I know we have things waiting. The twins… our future. And sometimes, I don't know. It scares me."

Just a foot away, in a small crib beside their bed, the soft breathing of Shin and Yui filled the room. Their tiny chests rose and fell in peaceful rhythm, their presence anchoring the world in place.

Shinji's brows furrowed gently, his hands coming to rest on Yumi's lower back. "Scares you how?"

Yumi lowered his head, resting his forehead against Shinji's. "Because I love you so damn much it hurts, Shinji. It physically hurts. I hate that part. I hate how much it consumes me. Sometimes I think… if anything ever happened to you, I wouldn't know how to keep breathing."

His grip on him tightened.

"Yumi…"

"I know it sounds dramatic," he went on, his voice trembling just slightly. "But you're the only thing that feels real. When I wake up in your arms, when I hear your laugh, when you touch me like I'm something precious... It terrifies me. Because I'm so afraid of losing it."

Shinji didn't speak for a moment. He just held him, brushing his thumb softly along his jaw, grounding him. Then he whispered, "You're not going to lose me."

"You don't know that."

"No," he agreed. "But I promise I'll fight every damn day to make sure you never have to face that fear. You and the twins—you're my whole world. Nothing matters more."

Yumi nodded, eyes shimmering. "I hate the pain that comes with loving you so deeply… but I wouldn't trade it. Not for anything."

He leaned up, pressing a kiss to the center of Yumi's chest, right over his heart. "Then let's keep loving each other through the hurt. Through the fear. Because that love? It's stronger than anything."

Yumi smiled through his tears. "You're such a sap sometimes."

"I'm your sap."

They both laughed softly, the moment breaking into something lighter.

Yumi shifted again, lying on his side and pulling Shinji with him so they faced each other. They stayed that way for a while—just staring, touching, breathing in the same air.

"Do you think Shin and Yui will be like you?" Yumi asked suddenly, brushing his fingers through Shinji's hair.

He grinned. "Sexy and unstoppable? God, I hope not. The world's not ready."

Yumi playfully rolled his eyes. "No, I mean… kind. Loyal. A little stupid when it comes to pushing yourself too hard for people you love."

"Hey, I'm adorably stupid."

"You're dangerously stupid," he corrected, giggling. "But… I want them to have your heart. That soft, stubborn heart that keeps trying, even when it's broken."

Shinji's smile faded into something softer, something almost shy. "You really think I'm like that?"

"I know you are," Yumi said, drawing lazy circles on his chest. "That's why I love you. Not because of how good you are in bed—which, by the way, is legendary—but because when you look at me, I feel like I matter. Like I'm enough."

"You are more than enough," Shinji said, voice rough with emotion. "You're everything, Yumi."

They kissed again. Longer this time. Slower. Not out of desire, but out of need. The kind of kiss that says, Even when I'm silent, my soul is calling out to yours.

When they broke apart, Yumi nestled into his chest again, tucking himself under Shinji's chin.

"Let's start planning their birthday," he mumbled, already half-asleep. "Shin and Yui. I want them to always feel loved."

"Okay," Shinji said, brushing his back with lazy strokes. "Shin's going to be trouble. I saw the way he kicked Yui for the blanket."

Yumi smiled sleepily. "Yui kicked him back harder. She's definitely got your attitude."

Shinji chuckled. "And Shin got your face when he's mad. That pout? Pure Yumi."

"Poor kids," Yumi murmured. "Doomed from the start."

Shinji kissed the top of his head. "Nah. They've got us. And that's more than enough."

The silence between them stretched again, comfortable and warm.

"Shinji?"

"Yeah?"

"I really, really love you."

He pressed a kiss to the top of Yumi's head. "And I really, really love you too. Even when you punch me in your sleep."

"That was one time."

"It left a bruise."

He snorted softly, drifting off. "You deserved it."

"Probably."

They fell asleep like that, tangled together, the soft breathing of their children beside them. The world might have been unpredictable, and the future uncertain—but in that bed, in that moment, they had everything they needed.

And even though loving someone so deeply could hurt…

It was a pain worth carrying.

Shinji was almost asleep when he felt Yumi shift slightly in his arms. The warmth of his body stayed pressed against him, but his voice, soft and quiet, broke through the silence like a whisper only meant for lovers.

"Shinji…"

"Hmm?" he mumbled, eyes still closed, thumb lazily stroking Yumi's hip.

"Can you stay home tomorrow?"

Shinji cracked one eye open, surprised but intrigued. "Tomorrow?"

Yumi nodded gently against his chest. "All day. Don't go to the office. Just… stay with me. With us."

A beat of silence passed.

Then Shinji smirked. "I am the boss, huh?"

"You are."

"And no one can really kick me out of my own company."

"Exactly."

Shinji shifted, rolling them slightly so Yumi was beneath him again, his body fitting perfectly over his. Their bare skin touched in every place it could, the heat between them still lingering from hours before.

"Well…" Shinji drawled, eyebrow raised. "If I'm staying home… I should be properly compensated."

Yumi narrowed his eyes, lips twitching. "Compensated?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm a busy man, Yumi. Important meetings, stock reports, business calls. If I'm skipping all that…" He leaned down, his nose brushing Yumi's. "What do I get?"

Yumi blushed, rolling his eyes in mock irritation—but his hands slid slowly around Shinji's neck, drawing him in even closer.

"You'll get me," he whispered, lips brushing his. "My love, my body… my everything."

Shinji's breath caught for a second, the playfulness in his expression flickering into something much deeper. Something raw.

"Damn," he said, voice low. "That's… a hell of a deal."

Yumi smiled, threading his fingers through his hair. "Take it or leave it, Mr. CEO."

Shinji chuckled, then kissed him—slow and full of intent. When he pulled away, his eyes were soft and glowing. "I'll take it. I'll stay. The office can survive one day without me."

"Good," Yumi whispered, pulling him in again. "Because I don't want to share you tomorrow. I want a day where it's just us."

"We'll make it a day for just us," Shinji promised. "Me, you… and our two little monsters."

Yumi laughed quietly, glancing at the crib beside the bed where Shin and Yui still slept peacefully, their tiny fingers twitching as they dreamed.

Shinji followed his gaze, then looked back down at him. "Let's sleep in. Make breakfast together. Lay in the sun. Watch cartoons with the twins."

"Maybe a round or two of something not kid-friendly in between," Yumi added with a smirk.

Shinji grinned wide. "Now that is what I call a work-life balance."

They shared another kiss—sweet, sleepy, perfect.

Tomorrow would be theirs.

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END OF CHAPTER : 14 : HURTS TO LOVE YOU THIS MUCH!

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