DA STORY SEW FAH: Joey gets ro–ahem, burglarized. Joey gets bricked in the skull. Joey gets pissed. Yugi gets concerned. Yugi vows revenge (Well, not really. He’s a softie boy, after all.). Yugi lets readers know his deepest darkest secrets. ^_~ Tee hee. Yugi gets confused and stuff. Bad Guys are introduced. Yugi, Joey, and company do research. Yugi gets horny looking at Joey’s ass. X) *snicker* Yugi thinks of the most evil, digusting thing in the world to get the gayness (If any, I’m not letting you know just yet, although you may already know.) out of his system (If you don’t know what the evil thought is, well it’s so gross I’m not telling you. Read Chapter 1. It had something to do with the ‘K’ word.). Yugi, Joey, and company finally get results. Bad Guy gets what he wants… kinda. There. That should satisfy you like a Snickers bar. And if it doesn’t, then screw you.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, which is why I’m not having his baby. I also don’t own the rest of the characters, which is why I’m not having Jounouchi’s baby or Ryou’s baby, either. The bad guys are mine, but do you think I wanna have their babies?!

RATED: See Chapter 1.

Aaaarrrrggggghhhhhhhh… You know the drill. When italics (These) appear in parentheses (These-->( )), I comment about stuff. But when the italics appear in single quotations (These--> ‘’), It means the character(s) is/are thinking about things.

Send me feedback, dammit! …I mean, please? ^_^;

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(Pronounced "Yoo-Meh-No-Nah-Kah" and it means "In a Dream". This phrase is used in many Japanese songs.)

A lovely Saturday afternoon in Domino City happened as Joey, his shy amigo Yugi, and Tea and Tristan, each wearing normal street clothes (Yugi’s street clothes are his school uniform, go fig.) carrying an overnight bag, sought revenge for the stolen deck. But first, they have to find the freaking hotel!

"Where the hell is 742 Croquet Street?" Tristan wondered aloud. "I see 741 and 743 this side, but…"

"Sometimes street addresses skip numbers" Tea replied "Although this is suspicious… I don’t see any even numbers across the street, just odd ones…"

Yugi stayed silent and scribbled in his open Sailor Moon-decorated diary, not noticing Joey’s occasional peeking. Last week’s dreamed seemed to eat him inside. Last night’s dream is totally consuming him. ‘Hmm… Let’s see…’ Scribble, scribble, scribble. ‘Dear Diary, you know that kissing dream I had last week with Joey in it? Well, it happened again. Only this time it was in a different place and setting. I was actually in my bed with him–but we both still had our underwear on. Joey was pressuring me to have sex with him! And oh my God, Diary. You won’t believe this, but I actually wanted to go at it with him! But when we were about to do it, I suddenly lost the feeling. Joey got off me and told me that he was sorry he was about to rape me. I really didn’t think he wanted to hurt me, though… So then, we just spent the rest of the dream making out on the bed.’

"Hey, Yugi, you’d better be careful openin’ that up in public," Joey winked and warned him playfully.

"…Opening what?" What a quick and crappy lie Yugi told as he flushed a pretty pink and quickly shut his journal. Too bad it didn’t have a lock on it.

Joey discreetly leaned closer to Yugi and whispered in his ear. "None of that information in there would happen to be Tea related, would it?" Joey smirked.

Yugi’s face reddened very brightly. "Noooooo! No, no, no, no, NO!!!" He rapidly shook his head and screamed loud enough for the passerby to hear. (Hell no, Joey. That information is YOU related! ;D)

"Hey guys, knock it off!" Tea scolded at the boys as one tried to snatch the beloved article of sexy secrets from the other’s hands. "If you’ve read the last line, the whole public can see us now!"

"Hey Tea, you know how weird this is?" the largely unnoticed Tristan questioned. "It’s almost like that one really, really famous book by this cool English chick where this nerd kid with magical powers was looking in this train station for a weird platform. I think it was Nine-and-Three-Quarters… Everyone thought he was weird, but it appeared magically and only he and these other magical kids could see it."

"I doubt the author of this story is that rich," Tea correctly commented.

"I GOT YER SECRETS!!!" Joey ran off euphorically into a nearby alley with Yugi-chan’s diary. "HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

"Give it baaaaaaaaa~ck!!" Yugi wailed, pumping his short legs after Joey. "Please?! Seriously!"

"No way, man!" Joey called from afar in the alley, waving the victimized book in his right hand. "You shouldn’t keep secrets from your friends!!" He ran even farther.

Now Yugi became ultra pissed. "DAMMIT! KATSUYA JOUNOUCHI, GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE ON THE %&*@ING DOUBLE!!!" (Woah, that would scare anyone, hearing Yugi swear like that…)

Joey stopped dead in his tracks.

Yugi hurried over to him and panted in exhaustion. "Whew… Sorry… to get so… angry… like that. I just lost… control… of myself… *Huff* C-can I have my diary back already?!"

"Er… Yeah, sure…" Joey heedlessly returned the diary to his friend while looking at something up in the air, with his mouth and eyes open wide.

"Well, I’m so glad that you did… not……read………it…………" Yugi was also amazed at what Joey was looking at. (So… maybe Yugi’s swearing didn’t scare the living crap out of Joey after all?)

"Aaarrrgh, so this is where you were…" Tea ran along with Tristan to their two young friends. "Hey, what the hell are you loo…king… at……?"

"Daaaamn…" Tristan lifted his head way up high like the rest of the group.

There stood an oddly conspicuous, tall, golden building: the Invisible Arms.

"Woooooooooooww…!" They all said at the same time.

"742… See? I told ya, Tea! Now pay up!" Tristan extended his palm to her face.

"We didn’t bet on anything, stupid!" she snapped.

"Well, can I have the money anyway?! I just feel so poor and empty and alone and miserable and I’m named after a car company!!!" (Note: This is an almost direct quote from my friend, Nikki when she was talking about Tristan, because as some of you may know, Tristan Taylor’s real name is Hiroto Honda.)

"Fine, here ya go… Happy now?!" Tea took five bucks (How much yen is that? Oh well.) out of her wallet and handed them over to the desperate teen with the giant brown triangle on his head (Maybe that’s why his name is Tristan?). "But Bunny-chan’s still not rich."

Upon the entrance into the lobby, the foursome gazed at all the wondrous sights.

"Wow! What a beautiful chandelier…!" a starry-eyed Tea looked up at the gorgeous lights hanging from the ceiling.

"That’s a really beautiful fountain…" Yugi declared as he stood next to Joey. Both of them watched the trickling water pouring from separate spouts. "I wish I could make a wish on it, but the sign says that we’re not allowed to throw coins in it."

Joey’s cheeks felt warm and his heart jumped in his chest when his partner said the words, "make a wish". He had sounded so dreamy… ‘Huh?! Now that phrase isn’t supposed to make me blush…’ He looked puzzled at Yugi. ‘I’d be silly to have a crush on my own best friend, especially if he’s a dude…’ (BTW, I know it my seem like it, but this is not meant to be a pun on J x Y shipping, which is Wishshipping.)

"What the hell is taking this guy so long…?" Tristan stood impatiently at the front desk. He pounded on the little desk bell, which annoyed the other patrons to death.

The rest of the team rushed over to him. "Tristan! Will you cut it the hell out?! Jeez!" Joey reached to strangle the unfortunate Tristan, but…

"May I help you youngsters?" A tall, frigging gorgeous man with long, luxurious black hair swept back in an elegant ponytail and innocent-looking, almost hypnotic Asian brown eyes, wearing a black suit with red trimming and a rose corsage appeared behind the desk.

Each person froze at this damn beautiful man’s glittering elegance. (He might be more or less gay than Pegasus. I don’t know.)

"Uhh…" Joey quickly awoke from his "I want that guy’s suit" stupor and wiped the drool off his lips. "Oh! We’re here to uh… meet somebody, actually. I think we’ll be stayin’ a week."

"You’re name is Joey Wheeler, correct?" The mysterious samurai-looking man said, ogling the young blonde.

"Huh… Yeah! That’s right. ‘How in the world does he know my name? I don’t think we’ve made reservations, did we? Why is he looking at me like that…?’"

"My name is Bakamanaruhiro Yoshizuri. I am pleased to meet you." He bowed.

"Uh, I can’t pronounce his name, so let’s call him ‘Baka-man’," Joey said to his friends gesturing towards the good-looking guy with the really hard, eleven-syllable name (Yeah, so you don’t break my fingers by making me type his full name. :P).

"Yes… ‘Baka-man’… How nice…" Mr. Baka said exasperatedly. He then leaned towards Yugi. "And how old are you, young fellow?"

"Um… A-actually, I-I’m fifteen. And I’m the Duelist… here…" Yugi stammered bashfully. ‘His voice sounds so familiar…’

"Very good! Then, you’re free," Baka-man checked his notebook. ‘What the hell? He’s the Duelist?! This shrimpo?! I thought… Oh, well. I’ll just have to talk to my lackey about this…’

"Yeah. Uh, normally in this situation, I would’ve said he was eight, but…" Joey interrupted.

"And how old are you?"

Joey crouched down to about Yugi’s size and spoke in a very high, squeaky voice, "Eight."

Everyone sweatdropped.

"Yeah, sure. Nice try, Fifteen," Baka-man responded sarcastically. He handed the group a key with a chain that said "956" on it and called his bellboy, an ordinary-looking young man with slicked-back brown hair who brought out a giant cart. Baka-man glared angrily at him. The bellboy gulped and sweatdropped.

*****

"Brace yourself, luxury, ‘cause here we…" Joey opened the room 956 door, only to find four simple sleeping pads on a hard, wooden floor, one plain window without curtains, and one bathroom containing a moldy shower stall, not-so-pretty sink, and a semi-clean toilet. "…come."

"Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, Jo–woohp! Oww!" Tea unfortunately tripped on a bump in the doorway while she tried to enter the room. Maxi pads, tampons, and a box of Midol fell out of her Velcro pink and purple duffel bag.

"Ha ha," Joey pointed at her and laughed. "Tea’s on her period."

Extremely irritated, Tea roundhouse-kicked Joey’s Velcro navy blue knapsack out of his hand and onto the floor. His compact disc player and Justin Timberlake’s newest CD, "Justified" slipped out (Oh man, are the goths and punks gonna flame me for this. Uh… blame Joey, not me!). "Ha ha," she retorted. "Joey listens to girl music."

"Shut up, Britney," Joey replied. "Serenity put it in there. She said I need to appreciate the joys of having a feminine side, or something. ‘Hopefully the author will get flamed really badly for this, and not me…’"

"Right," Téa giggled. "Suuuuuuuuure."

‘Dammit. I’m telling the truth!’ Joey then shouted at Tristan. "Tristan, am I telling the truth?!"

"Uh huh, suuuuuure you–aaaaaaaaagh!" Tristan tripped over that very same menacing bump on the stiff doorway. Out of his khaki, also Velcro backpack, tumbled Sanami Matoh’s shounen ai specialty, Fake.

"Uh Ohhhhh!! Looks like Tristan has something to confe~ss!" Joey announced and grinned evilly at him.

"Could you be nice, guys?" Yugi pleaded, still standing behind the doorway. "I don’t care what time of the month it is, or what your special interests are."
Joey looked at Yugi and blushed a little. ‘He’s so understanding and compassionate… Hold on, don’t I have work to do?!’ He quickly returned to torture Tristan.

Tristan turned bright red and let tears stream from his eyes. "Okay! I’ll admit it!" He cried anime-style. "I-it’s true! I-I have a girlfriend and she makes me read it for the same ‘feminine side’ reason that Joey just used as an excuse to listen to boy bands!!!"

"So you weren’t studying with Susan all this time?!" Tea exclaimed.

"Yes. I do love someone! ‘Heh heh heh… Suckers…’"

"What the crap?! How come you can believe a crazy lie like that, and call me a liar when I’m telling the honest, holy, God-given truth?!" Joey sat on the floor and complained about the world’s harsh mistreatment to him. "Although I’d have to admit: Straight-A Susan is kind of hot, even though she’s a dork. And I didn’t know she was into shounen ai."

"Right. So who’s got their period now?" Tea broke Joey’s meaningless murmuring.

Joey crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at her.

"Hmph!" Yugi marched into the room smugly–a rare occasion. "I guess I’m the only one smart enough to use a zipper bag"

Not so fast.

"Huh? Eeeyaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Yugi tripped on the same evil bump in that doorway. And, while his cute, Kuriboh-printed overnight sack had a zipper, It also had another pocket with a buckle on it. To Yugi-kun’s dismay, the buckle had always been faulty, and of course he forgot to take this into consideration when he packed his LOCK-FREE (Remember?) Sailor Moon diary in that pocket before, because it fell out! HA!

"Ooh… look at what we have here, Mr. Smarty-pants…" Tristan reached for the flipped book, but Yugi quickly snatched it off the floor.

Yugi cuddled his most precious possession–next to his Puzzle, of course–to his chest. "No touchie!" he scolded.

"Okay, it’s yours, sheesh," Tristan surrendered.

"Well, I don’t suppose you would want this hot piece of precious property anymore, would you Joey?" Yugi snapped.

"Yeesh, not anymore!" Joey backed away. "I’ll respect your personal privacy already, jeez!" Suddenly, his heart pounded more rapidly than usual. ‘Why do I feel so hot? Why am I feeling so breathless? I really don’t have a crush on Yugi, so I guess it’s because I’m scared of his wrath now. Yeah, that’s it. …Gosh, he looks so cute when he’s angry…’ He smiled secretly at his adorable friend.

Yugi noticed his best bud’s gaze and reddened. ‘Uh oh, I hope those aren’t bedroom eyes, like the ones he made at me in that naughty dream last night…’ He relaxed his face a little. He could feel his stomach dancing within his body. ‘Oh, I see. He must be teasing me about what he thinks I’ve written in here. I must admit some of the entries do concern Tea, but I hope Joey doesn’t ever find out about the romantic and sexy dreams I’ve had about him lately…’

"Well, since we’ve all had nice trips, we should go eat, considering that it’s almost 6:30," Joey announced to his miniature public. "Ready to go, Yug? No reading or writing at the table, ‘kay? ‘Maybe I’ll sing a parody of "Cry Me a River" at the karaoke contest on Friday…’"

"Uh… sure! Okay…"

As they left, each member of the party cursed the evil floor bump.

*****

The foursome walked around by the lobby after dinner.

"Damn, the food sucked! But at least there was a lot of it," Joey stretched out his arms and rested them behind his head.

"Not to mention expensive," Tea explored her nearly empty wallet. "Twenty dollars per person? They almost cleaned us out! If only I didn’t have to give my lucky five bucks to some beggar, then maybe I’d feel more comfortable staying somewhere that’s seventy dollars a night for three people." She eyed Tristan angrily.

"Uh… Glad Yugi’s free?" Tristan answered, fearful of Tea’s remaining PMS.

At the corner of his eye, Yugi spotted a brightly-lit bookstore in the hall. ‘It’s still open this late…?’

He wandered inside, following only his intuition. It led him to the psychology and self-help section. ‘I think there might be something good here…’ At that very thought, he found the most helpful reference for his situation: a dream dictionary. ‘I know it’s $14.25, but I hope it helps…’

Almost as soon as Yugi was finished making his transaction, Joey appeared alone at the store’s doorway. "Yugi! Come on. We gotta go. Everyone left already."

Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat. ‘Oh. Were you waiting for me, Joey…?’ Yugi left too, but not after thanking the cashier. He was happy, excited, and nervous all at the same time. It’s difficult for a young teenager to contain such a bundle of emotions, but he did anyway.

Yume no Naka futari de ita yo ne (In a dream, the two of us were together)

Hoshi tachi ni mamorarete (Surrounded by the stars)

"So, what’d ya buy?" Joey asked Yugi.

"A…a book, duh," Yugi blushed yet again and clutched the bag tightly in his grasp.

Tomodachi no toki ni wa ki ni sezu (When we were friends, I wasn’t shy)

Joey got to catch a small glimpse of the book’s title. "About dreams?"

Yugi turned a deeper shade of crimson. He nodded. He felt butterflies in his stomach again.

Nanigenaku hanashite ita kedo (I talked casually with you)

"You know, I’ve been having weird dreams, too"

"Huh? Really, Joey?"

Anata dake ki ni naru shunakan ga atta no (But, there was a moment in which I wanted to be prettier for you)

Motto kirei ni ima sugu naritai (Right now, you are the only one for me)

"Yeah, like there was this one where I took over the world, and the next day, I got into a fight with these guys, thinking I could win, see? And then I lost."

Koi suru to nanika ga kawarune (Our love has the power to change)

Me wo tojite tashikamete (I close my eyes and hope for it)

Dakishimeta tokimeki sono mama (I held you and my heart was pounding)

Ko no omoi tsutaetai (How could I share that thought to you?)

"I know, I know. It’s not good." Joey felt the palpitations of his heart accelerate. He thrust his hands deep in his pockets and looked at the floor, occasionally glancing at his timid little friend. "I… I really like it when you’re concerned for my safety. You’re just like… family… to me…" Joey faced Yugi, and flashed him a warm smile.

"Really…?" The BPM of Yugi’s heart increased, too. "Well, I… Th-that’s how I feel about you too, so…" He looked down, playing with the chain connected to his Puzzle again, and tried to hide the redness that occupied his face.

Kaeri michi minna no maedemo (On the path home, everyone was there)

"Oh… come here, you!" Joey grabbed the smaller boy with an arm and jokingly attached him to his side. A few minutes later, they have gotten out of struggling and traveled up to the ninth floor with Yugi’s arm around Joey’s waist, and Joey’s arm around Yugi’s shoulders.

Inside the elevator, the two boys were separate again, yet the thoughts that ran through their naïve heads were very similar.

Sayonara wa iitakunai kara (I didn't want to say goodbye to you)

‘I wonder what it would be like to kiss him just once…’ Yugi revisited the secret depths of his mind. ‘Would it feel good, just like my dreams…? Or would it be too unusual? I know this may sound weird of me, but… I’m starting to feel closer to Joey than ever before. And even though he’s just my friend, I really want to tell him all the feelings and the dreams that I’ve had, in hopes that he and I will remain best friends for as long as we can afterward…’ He sighed sadly and shook his head in disbelief. ‘No… Joey’s gonna freak out cause he only likes girls…’

Omoi kiri genki ni te wo furuwa kyou kara (So with happy thoughts, I waved my hand to you instead)

Motto sutekina watashi wo misetai (Yet I only want to show you a better me)

‘What’s he sighing for…?’ Joey studied his sweet and attractive friend. ‘Ah, he must be tired. At only 8 PM?! Guess he ate too much…’ He gave Yugi a tiny smile that would make him blush again if he were looking. ‘My brain is probably really gay for saying this, but… I liked it when he held me back there. It made me feel safe and secure like never before. Yugi’s such a little dork, but he’s so adorably cute… I suddenly feel like I wanna take him home and cuddle with him all night long. Joey looked at the book in the white plastic bag that Yugi was holding. The illustrations on the paperback cover were designed to resemble the ultramarine night sky. A dream dictionary, huh? I wonder if he dreams of me at night…’ But Joey put his hand on his face and frowned with discouragement. ‘Whatever. I think he still likes Tea anyway…’

The signal on the elevator rang and stopped. As the doors opened, Joey noticed Yugi’s emotionless features. "Hey, Yug. You tired?"

"Uh, no, I… *yawn* …I just wanted that elevator ride to be a little bit longer…"

Yume no naka futari de ita yo ne (In a dream, the two of us were together)

Dare yo rimo chikazuite (I was closer to you than anyone else)

Ano toki no anata ni okuruwa (Yesterday was for you)

Ima ai wo todoketai (Now I’ll deliver you my love)

"Why?"

"Err, uh… Nothing, Joey," Yugi searched his mind for a cover-up. "Um… I kind of wanted to talk to you a little longer…" He became embarrassed at his last statement.

"I will always be here for you, pal," Joey stated. He gently stroked his friend’s spikey hair. "You don’t have to be shy about it if you wanna stay up a little later and talk."

Ashita wa totemo ii koto ga (Tomorrow, something nice will happen)

Okori sou-na ki ga suruwa (But it could be just the beginning)

"Thank you," Yugi lovingly hugged his tall, built friend. ‘I just want to remain in this moment for as long as I can. I’m sure I’d feel the same way about someone else if he or she were my best friend, but right now, I’ll just concentrate on you, my great protector Jounouchi…’

Joey’s face became a bright scarlet. But he certainly enjoyed the warm, sincere embrace of his tiny companion, and therefore returned it an equal amount of care. ‘If this is what being the best of friends feels like, Yugi, then I really like it. Stay with me forever, my little dear one…’

Koi suru to nanika ga kawarune (Our love has the power to change)

Me wo tojite tashikamete (I close my eyes and hope for it)

Dakishimeta tokimeki sono mama (I held you and my heart was pounding)

Ko no omoi tsutaetai (How could I share that thought to you?)

*****

"Aww… Ain’t that sweet… Those bastards." The ordinary-looking lackey and a tough-looking assistant spied on the pair of pals.

"Which one should I take care of?" asked the large man.

"The big-haired one who’s only about four feet tall, which is about eleven inches shorter than the author (I trusted you!!! How dare you?!). Larry the Lackey answered.

"How do we distract ‘em?"

"There’s a girl with them, you see. You know how young guys are protective of their ladies–especially in shounen manga."

"Oh, I see, Lar. Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh…"

"And don’t mess up! I don’t want Yoshizuri-sama to blame me for anyone else’s mistakes." The poor underling rubbed a large painful lump that his master had given him on his head.

*****

Joey and Yugi entered their room, finding Tea and Tristan already inside.

"Where were you guys? We were getting worried," Tea inquired.

"Oh, um… I’m really sorry. I-I just got sidetracked, and I wanted to get a souvenir for myself," Yugi stammered. "I… I might get one for you, too…" His face reddened again.

"Aww, you’re sweet," Tea grinned.

Joey cast his eyes down in disappointment, but he didn’t know exactly where it came from or why…

After conversing about school, music, peanut butter, cheese, and why Kaiba’s a jerk, three rounds of Pokémon link battles, and .hack//SIGN, it was finally 11:30 PM. Time for all high-schoolers to board the sleepy train. Each member of the party rearranged their portable beds to be nearer to each other.

12:05 PM. everyone was finally clean, white-toothed, and changed into their pj’s (There’s a girl in the group, and only one bathroom to share among four humans. How long did you think they’d take?!).

"So, Joey," Yugi, in his kawaii star pajamas, dried his limp, wet hair until it finally puffed up into its normal, star shape. "Do you still miss your cards?"

"My what?! I completely forgot about them," Joey, in his flannel pajama bottoms and an undershirt, replied, waiting to dry his damp, dirty-blonde hair. He took a shower first, yet he still surrendered one of the few towels in the room to petit procrastinator, who just couldn’t wait to read his newly bought book. "I guess I just had so much fun, I forgot the purpose of this trip."

Yugi blushed and handed Joey his only towel. ‘A bracelet, like in last week’s dream…’ Joey took the towel, but Yugi was too entranced and ashamed to face him. ‘It was on my arm, so my love life will go well. But, then I lost it, so I will have disappointment coming… Argh! Tea won’t like me?! Then, I was hugged by Joey. That means I’ll have to contain my impulsive streak. What impulsive streak?!’ "Oh wait, Joey. Do you want another towel?"

"Uh, actually, I don’t think…"

Too late. Yugi already entered the bathroom to search for a second towel.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!"

"Oh, brother," Joey murmured when Yugi found Tea using the bathroom instead of new towels. "There’s a limited supply of towels, you know."

"Well, why didn’t you tell me sooner?!" Yugi exited the bathroom, 100 percent rouge. ‘Ohhkay, back to decoding dreams. A full moon is a romantic sign… And, let’s see, being kissed… a new love affair… Do dreams really prophesize…? I hope not.’ He stood against the wall, still thinking to himself. ‘My own bed… It means security. In my underwear means a really good offer, if you’re a guy… This book, maybe? Not feeling the desire to have sex is impotence, and that’s a really good sign considering my love life and a lot of other stuff. And kissing again! By the same person… This could be a recurring dream disguised as different ones…’

"Hey Yugi, you wanna sleep next to me? Joey called.
"Ulp. No, thanks. That’s all right…"

"Aw, come on! I wanna protect you!"

Yugi pondered that statement. Then he thought about how he was too embarrassed to sleep next to Tea, and how much she would dislike having to sleep next to Joey. "Okay, if you insist…" Obviously, the latter of the possible situation convinced him more than having Joey as a human shield.

At 12:15 AM, all four guests climbed into their flat beds and bid each other good night.

"Good night, Tea, Tristan, and Joey," Yugi said.

"We’ll get your cards tomorrow…" Tristan yawned.

"And we’ll kick that guy’s butt!" Tea declared.

Tea and Tristan fell asleep quickly. However, Yugi still wanted to speak to Joey. "Don’t worry, Joey" he assured. "I promise you I will get your deck back soon."

"Yeah, that’s nice. Good night, Yug," Joey mumbled, trying to fall asleep.

But there was something else that still tore Yugi inside… He didn’t know what but he hoped that this next request would erase the ache in his heart. "Um, Joey…"

"What? This better be important. I’m trying to sleep," Joey replied groggily.

"Um… Can I…" Yugi’s face went red. "T-touch your hair…?"

"Why?"

"Uhm… People are saying that you’re using aerosol hairspray, and… I wanna prove that it’s not true. And after all, you’ve touched mine…" Yugi was thinking that maybe his lies were going too far. But what was he lying for…?

"Sure, knock yourself out," Joey consented.

Shyly, Yugi twirled a few fingers in Joey’s freshly washed golden strands. Feeling a little bit braver, he decided to use his entire hands to feel the gentle softness.

"See? All natural," Joey stated.

"Er, that’s what I figured," Yugi replied, letting go of Joey’s tousled tresses. Suddenly that irritating pain deep inside seemed to fade away…

"Good night, Yugi." Joey fell asleep immediately.

"Good night to you, Joey."

Yugi unlit the lamp and climbed back into his puny bed. He could hear a combination of Joey’s snoring and sleep talking.

"Ohh, yeah… You know I like that, honey…"

‘Hee hee… I bet he’s thinking about pretty girls again,’ Yugi smiled to himself innocently and closed his eyes.

"Oh, Yugi…!"

Yugi’s eyes burst open wide. ‘HUH?! Last time I checked, I wasn’t a pretty girl…’

"Be gentle though, my little darling!"

He tried his best to ignore Joey’s hentai comments, and tossed and turned while wrapping the pillow around his own head. ‘Urrrrgh… Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!! I thought you were just my friend! Now I’m a porn star in your dreams?!’

"Yes! Yes! YESSSSS!"

‘No! No! NOOOOO!’ Poor little Yugi finally gave up with his eyes wide open, and Joey continued to say things one would only hear in a porno film.

Meanwhile, Tea got out of her bed in a trance like state. Surprisingly, no one noticed…

*****

The unfortunate Yugi Mutou awoke lifelessly Sunday morning with half-closed bloodshot eyes. He had only gotten two hours of sleep, thanks to listening to dirty words that would only be heard in one of Joey’s favorite movies.

"Yugi! Yugi! Wake up!" Tristan, in his normal clothes, shook the super-drowsy boy with all his might, but face it, he’s still too tired to budge. "C’mon! It’s 10:30! We’re gonna miss our complimentary breakfast!"

"Screw that, the food sucks," Joey growled, half-awake and fully dressed.

"So? Complimentary means free. They gave our wallets a weight-loss plan last night, so…"

"We’ll use the damn machines, Tristan! What’s seventy cents for a decent granola bar?"

"Muwuuuugggghhhh…" Yugi finally sat up. He reluctantly walked to the drawers and reached for a pair of socks, a sleeveless black leather muscle shirt, and a pair of dark washed indigo jeans (For those of you who say that Yugi dresses like a goth stripper, you’re right. Although I’d have to say that he looks more like a gay punk rocker.). Immediately, he noticed that Tea was nowhere to be found in the room. "Oh my God, have you seen Tea?!"

"I didn’t see her when I woke up, so I think she left for the cafeteria already," Joey shrugged.

"Did she tell you?!" Yugi commanded. He looked around frantically while putting his shirt on. "She wouldn’t go anywhere without telling us first!"

‘I’m so amazed that he cares for Tea like that…’ Joey pondered to himself for a moment. ‘But there’s this painful feeling that makes me feel like I wanna puke… Is it because I’m sick of her treating Yugi like a little brother when he’s trying his best to win her heart? Or is it because …? No way. I couldn’t possibly want him to myself, could I? Well, I’m definitely not digging on Tea that’s for sure. Or maybe the crappyass food made me sick? I’m not feeling the actual sensation of an illness, though…’

"Don’t worry," Tristan reassured the hyperventilating boy. "We’ll check the cafeteria just to make sure."

"You need not do that," A burly voice intercepted. It came from a six-and-a-half foot tall tanned man with overly masculine features, making him very unappealing. Over his shoulder, he was carrying Tea, who was still in her pajamas, and nearly comatose with her short brown hair falling limp over her delicate façade.

"Yami… surrender… Please do not try to save me… If you want to live…" Tea murmured against her will.

"I am Clyde. If you win a duel against me, you may choose the prize of this girl’s life, or your best buddy’s beloved deck."

"And… If I lose…?" Yugi still wanted and needed sleep. But he tried to let his determination keep him alert.

"Then you shall die…" Clyde answered. "…along with this girl." With that, he placed the unconscious Tea on the edge of the windowsill.

"Remember, Yugi. You can always get me a new deck. Just try and save Tea!" Joey cheered. Somehow, he felt miserable making Yugi choose Tea’s life. Yet, Joey knew that this is what his friend wanted. However, the deck was one of the last things on his mind…

"I will accept your challenge…!" Blinding beams of light shot from Yugi’s golden pyramid-shaped puzzle. His body grew stronger and taller. And his hair and facial expression, stiffer and more intimidating, respectively. His eyes transformed from calm, gentle amethysts to deep colored flaring rubies. Yugi has disappeared. Yami Yugi has taken over this battle!

Tea was amazed at Yami Yugi’s fierce beauty after the flashes of yellow light woke her up. His slight muscular build and confident smirk made Joey… Um… his pants… uh… *Blush* Ahem. Err… he "Rose to the Occasion", if ya know what I mean… ^_~

"Now Clyde, if you are ready…" Yami boldly whipped out his Duel Disk and attached it to his forearm. "Then it’s time to… Yaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwnnnnnnn…"

"Huh?!" Joey and Tristan were startled by this normally brave young pharaoh’s fatigue.

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…" Plop. Yami fell face first on the floor, fast asleep.

Everyone sweatdropped.

"TIME OUT!!!" Joey stood upright and announced. "You! Clydie! Yeah, you! You can’t call this match just ‘cause my friend here’s out cold! If you wanna kick his ass, make sure he’s at optimum condition, and now ain’t the freakin’ time!"

"Woah, Joey," Tristan whispered. "You sure told him."

"Yeah, well, Yugi’s saved my neck thousands of times before," replied Joey. "So, why shouldn’t I save Yami? He’s kinda like a tough version of Yugi, and… Yugi’s kinda like a baby version of Yami… or something." He sighed and looked affectionately at the handsome young man, sleeping peacefully.

"Are you sick, Joey? Your face is all red" Tristan noticed the color of Joey’s cheeks.

"Hwuh? Me? I’m not sick…" The blonde’s heart nearly escaped from his ribcage.

"Whatever," Tristan shrugged.

"Very well," Clyde said, removing Tea from the windowsill and placing her on the ground. "He gets three hours of rest–and only three hours."

"Or?" snapped Joey.

"You all die."

"Gulp. It’s 10:45 AM, so… Please for the love of God, Yugi, wake up before 1:45PM!!"

"Calm down, Joey. It’s not like he’s never gonna pull through…"

"Shut up, Tristan. Everyone’s life, including… I mean, especially Yugi’s and Yami’s lives are at stake!" Joey picked up Yami and put a blanket around him, cradling him in his arms like a baby. He sat in a chair, caressing Yami’s head. "Everything’s gonna be okay, buddy." Joey’s chocolate brown eyes glistened with welling tears. "I just know it."

Perplexed, Tristan watched the entire brief scene between the two teen males. ‘Woah. Is Joey digging on Yugi…?’

*****

"Yugi! Wake the hell up! I know it’s only 1:43, but come on!" Joey squeezed Yami Yugi’s cheeks over and over again until his eyelids finally revealed his vibrant violet-red eyes.

"Ugghhh… Joey…" Yami became fully awake, delighted to see Joey’s gentle yet anxious face. However, he was not happy to see his own… um… his cro…ahem. What Joey had… Ah, forget it. ‘Oh no! I’ve had another one of those dreams again!’ Yami Yugi stood very alert, knowing his task. ‘Argh! I’ll have to put this on hold…’ "Joey. You, Tea, and Tristan will be safe. Count on it." He walked towards the offender, who had Tea bound in ropes (She’s fully conscious, so the bad guy had to find a way to keep her helpless while he’s doing his dirty work.).

‘Tea called for Yami’s name only so why would Yugi…’ Joey watched in a sad amazement as the other half of his best friend attempt to save the only girl. ‘What the hell am I goin’ on about…? It’s like I’m really falling head over heels for him or somethin’. Am I?!’

"Damn you!" Yami Yugi shouted at Clyde. "How dare you use a young female as bait, when you know you can call me out yourself, you coward!"

"For that, I shall go first," the strong opponent responded. "We shall each start at 4000 Life Points. Good luck. You’ll need it. I Summon the Man-Eater bug!!"

"Fine. Then I shall use Beta the Magnet Warrior!" replied Yami. (I don’t really know much about the Duel Monsters game, so I’ll just make Yugi/Yami use the monsters that I like, but don’t have, and the ones I would use in the Duel Monsters International GBA game. The opponents use a mixture of the anime villains’ cards, and the ones I don’t like. I’ll keep this short, anyway.)

"You know what happens if the Man-Eater Bug is sent to the Graveyard, do you?" Clyde taunted the pharaoh.

"Yes, but do you think I care?" Yami boasted. "Beta, attack!"

"You thought you were only going to receive but a scratch? I shall activate the Magic Cylinder!"

"What?!" Yami was in shock as he watched 1700 or so of his Life Points deplete, leaving him with about 2300 LP. Like that stopped him. Oh, no it didn’t. He then activated his Soul of the Pure card, and set two monsters.

Clyde’s turn. He used the Change of Heart card, and took temporary control of Yami’s Beta Warrior. Clyde attacked one of the set monsters, but it was revealed to be the Giant Soldier of Stone, with 2000 Defense Points. Clyde’s LP decreased by 300, the difference between Beta’s Attack Points, and the Giant Soldier of Stone’s Defense Points.

*****

Finally, Yami Yugi was left with 300 LP, and Clyde with 1000. Yami had in play Nekogal #2, and the Dark Magician Girl. Clyde had the edge in the battle with Jinzo and Zombrya the Dark in play. It was Yami’s turn. He feared for the loss of Téa’s life, should he lose this battle. However, he was also reminded of Joey’s missing deck. Many of the cards contained in it were symbols of his and Yugi’s friendship.

"Surrender now. There is no place for you to go," Yami’s brutish opponent commanded.

However, we all know that Yami (Yugi, too) always has some sort of amazingly cool strategic trick up his sleeve, so there’s no way in hell that he’s giving up! He drew one card. It was the Axe of Despair! Perfect for such a dire situation! He attached the Axe to Nekogal #2. "Attack Jinzo, Nekogal #2!"

Jinzo was completely destroyed, leaving Clyde with only 500 Life Points. Yami’s seemingly deadly opponent was still as persistent as ever. "Zombrya! Attack Dark Magician Girl!"

"Now! Magic Cylinder activate! Glad that the Trap Card-numbing Jinzo was dead, Yami was more than happy to slaughter Clyde with a backlash of negative 2100 LP.

"Noooooooooo! Forgive me!" screamed Clyde, breaking down on the floor.

Just then, Larry the Lackey appeared. He smacked his large assistant on the face, and tore the circular pendant off his neck. "You damned fool! How the hell could you lose?!" He then turned to face Yami Yugi. "We shall meet again, you little brat," With that, Larry and Clyde disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

"What the–" Joey coughed. "Some weird stuff is going on here… Let’s go report this SOB to the authorities."

"I’m with you," agreed Tristan. The two rushed out of the room down to the first floor.

Yami Yugi stayed back inside and untied Tea. "Are you all right?"

She coughed. "Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine."

"That man must be a hypnotist," said Yami.

"How do you know…?"

"Well, I saw that he had a gold pendant around his neck. The thin person ripped it off of his neck. It was the same one that professional magicians and psychologists use for hypnosis.

"Oh…" Tea looked down. "I was hypnotized…?"

"Yes," Yami nodded.

Tea stood up to face her rescuer. She nervously looked down into his large, cat-like eyes. "Hey… I wanna thank you for saving me."

"I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you weren’t safe…" replied Yami.

Blushing, Tea neared slightly closer to him. "I know it’s the wrong time to say this, but… You may be the one for me."

Yami flushed softly as well.

"So, it would do me a great honor if… you would spend one night out with me…"

Yami mused over her statement. He’d been waiting for this moment for quite a while. However, this somehow conflicted with his ethics… and his heart at the same time. "Sorry, Tea," he responded. "There are two sides to me. And, if you choose to fall in love with one rather than the other…" He took a deep breath. "Then your love…" His heart was breaking slowly, watching hers break as well. "…isn’t worth my time…"

For a second, Tea stood in shock. After returning to the unsympathetic reality, she ran out of the room sobbing.

Yami turned back and stood against the far wall. He too, could feel tears traveling from his disappointed eyes down to his cheek.

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HOLY FLURKING SHNIT!!! Did he just do what I think he just did?!?!?! We were waiting this whole series for ‘em to become lovebirds, but Yami just blew ‘er off like that!! Could it be…? Aww, poor Tea… I bet you non-shounen ai fans are really shocked and pissed at me for doing this, but for the pro-fans, please read on (BTW, this isn't a Tea-bashing fic. Sorry.). I know Chapter 2 was long, but I wanted to fit so many cool things at once (Including Joey’s sleep talking) in so little time (Maybe less DM scenes will do?). And I know the names of the bad guys were stupid, too. They just came to me. Speaking of which, Baka-man’s name is a pun on SD Gundam’s Bakunetsumaru’s name. Nobody can pronounce it! And, I bet all you people know what "baka" means in Japanese…

And, by the way, Joey didn’t do anything during the scene when Yami Yugi fell asleep, so you can get your minds out of the gutter.

Chapter 3 is gonna focus slightly more on the drama. Meaning there’s more crying, more yelling and more swearing, etc. Plus, Joey might finally get his cards back… I hope! :) And, I’m really sorry about the slow pace. I know the romance oven was supposed to be preheated to 500 degrees, but it’s still at 250. So, to make up for that, we might reveal Yugi’s yaoi dreams in more detail… ^_~ He might become pretty close to declaring his love to Jounouchi, too. And Joey will sleep talk more! :D

Stick around and wait for Chapter 3, coming soon!

Good Night… For Now… ^_~