This is a really excellent story. Sure, your ideas aren't 100% from whole cloth, but the way you put them together is much more important than the ideas themselves. I tried (and failed, somewhat) with a story like this some time ago (Ecstatic Immolation). You've avoided the things I did wrong and have otherwise filled it with goodness.
I would urge you to make sure you don't fall into the trap of using the "bonding" to completely replace good, old fashioned romance. That's an easy trap to fall into, and it really hurts the story in the end. So far, you're doing a good job with that.