WHEN WE LAST LEFT OFF ON OUR JOURNEY: The brave knight, Yugi Mutou’s search for Prince Joseph’s beloved treasure led him and his party to a luxurious-on-the-outside, shabby-on-the-inside inn. Sir Yugi consulted a helpful reference to either confirm or deny the fact that Prince Joseph is putting a bewitching spell on him… ^_~ However, in his slumber the prince reveals that he may enchanted by the little brave knight! Sir Yugi spends a whole sleepless night trying to avoid the magic chant. The next morning the tired little knight finds Princess Tea held captive by an evil sorcerer. Sir Yugi becomes the exotic magical pharaoh, Yami Yugi, and after he falls asleep flat on his face, he fights the evil sorcerer in a heated battle with Duel Monsters in order to save her. Princess Tea expresses her loyal gratitude to the knight, in the guise of the pharaoh. She also declares her everlasting love to him (Not really, but… you get the idea.). However, Pharaoh Yami rejects the princess’s advance! Does this mean that he wishes to wed the handsome Prince Joseph (so to speak)?!

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, then why would little boys watch it?

RATED: Too lazy to tell you. See Chapter 2.

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2:37 PM. "What?! An attempted hostage?!" shouted Baka-man in mock surprise.

"Yeah, the guy was big and ugly," Joey replied.

"Six-and-a-half feet tall, with a tattoo on his arm and everything!" added Tristan.

"So please, Baka-man. It would do us a great favor if you upped the security a notch."

"I shall make a note of that," Baka-man replied, trying to conceal the irritation that his new nickname gave him. ‘You little piece of… Trying to foil my plans… lucky for you that was only a distraction.’ By the way, this Friday…"

"Oh yeah, that singing contest!" Joey lit up. "I was gonna sign up, but I keep on forgetting…"

"You should sign up," Baka-man graciously brought up a pen and a clipboard with paper attached. "There is a cash prize involved, you see. ‘You son of a bitch. You’re as broke as hell.’"

"Oh, cool! I’m definitely for it! "If I win, I can pay my own bail! ‘Everyone’s broke, anyway…’" Joey enthusiastically scribbled his name below the many others on the sheet.

Tristan sighed a mushroom cloud. ‘Joey’s gonna lose. We are so screwed…’

"Oh wait! ‘You damn bastards…’" The young owner shouted as Joey and Tristan had their backs turned. "You forgot the name of your song. ‘You crappy jerk.’"

"Oh. I thought I knew, but I’m undecided for now." He and Tristan left the lobby.

"You should decide by Thursday. ‘You dickhead.’" Baka-man put his clipboard and pen away. "You can pick any one you want, even if it’s not a release. In that case, bring a CD. ‘I know you’re planning to steal your cards back from me, so hell yeah, I’ll upgrade the security…’" He leered at Joey as he left.

*****

Yugi sat alone, looking out the window and clutching his diary. The many thoughts of his dreams, sexuality, and dumping Tea seemed to fight for remaining space in his brain. Why did Yugi reject Tea’s invite? Did she really love Yami more than his real self? Would he fall in love with Joey, instead? Or was Joey just in lust with him?

Now Yugi’s mind traveled to his dreams. His most recent one, the one he had while he was Yami, was one heck of a doozy. ‘Yami… This time my dream was with you. I don’t think it means anything is going on between you and me, though. I was in the same bed I just tried to sleep in last night. You stripped me nude and teased me. I’m totally surprised I wanted it. We were about to make love, but that’s when Joey woke me up.’ Yugi sniffled. ‘I don’t know why I’m having these dreams or why they’re about… all this. This sucks! Tea’s so shallow, and I think I actually want Joey to fall in love with me. Why can’t I just be a normal boy and get my friend’s cards back without crushing on him?!’ He finally burst into tears again. His friends were present, but he still felt very alone, like people were turning against him.

Meanwhile, Joey and Tristan spotted Tea drinking a carton of milk in an almost zombified state. They tried to find out what made her like this.

"Tea…" Joey was still concerned, although he somehow saw her as a rival of his. It was a mystery to him as to why, though… "Something’s wrong, isn’t there?"

Tea stood silently as if she had heard nothing.

"Did something happen between you and Yugi?" Joey’s eyes widened as he saw a waterfall of milk streaming from Tea’s lips.

She put her carton down, but still said nothing.

Joey was about to think of another solution, but he heard something like a signal that instinctively told him to go inside the room. "Fine, suit yourself." He opened the door and shut it almost immediately behind him.

Tristan stayed outside to see if he could solve Tea’s query. "You know, Tea…"

She hung her head down sadly, pretending not to hear a word.

Tristan cleared his throat. He strode closer to Tea. "Um… …Drinking that stuff won’t help your boobs get any bigger…"

"TRISTAN, YOU ASSHOLE!!!" She threw the carton at him and stomped away.

Tristan rubbed the bruise on his head. ‘I thought she’d laugh… Oh, well. At least I got her to talk.’

Inside, Joey spotted Yugi with tears still in his eyes. His crying must have been that signal that called Joey to the rescue.

When I'm lost in the rain,

Yugi turned away, concealing his wet face from his worried friend.

"Don’t hide your tears from me. I could hear you outside."

Yugi blushed in embarrassment and surprise. How could Joey hear him when he was weeping so quietly? Could he really be falling in love with him after all?

"You look really depressed…"Joey seated himself next to Yugi and watched him blush even more as he brought out a tissue and dried his pint-sized partner’s dazzling violet eyes. "Did anything happen between you and Tea?"

And when I'm down, you're there, pushing me to the top

Yugi reddened even more and turned his head away. He was startled at how Joey could possibly guess what his problems were. He decided not to lie any further. "…Yeah… sh-she asked me out a-as Yami… and I…" Yugi answered between sobs. "I told her no, because…" He took another deep breath and swallowed his pride. "I… I knew she liked him, m-more than me…"

Joey embraced Yugi gently and let his loving and compassionate brown eyes meet his damp and sad purple eyes. The two hearts beat rapidly against each other. "I saw her outside. She seemed pretty depressed, too." He had a feeling of regret for saying his next sentence. "You can go talk to her… if you’d like…"

For a shield from the storm

Yugi brought himself nearer to the taller boy. "Thanks, Joey. I will go apologize to her." He smiled and let the last few drops of salt water escape from his eyes. But he saw a bit of discouragement in Joey’s expression. Yugi’s heart thought that maybe telling him this sentence would make Joey a bit happier. "But, just so you know… I don’t think I have a crush on Tea anymore…"

"R-really…?" Joey’s eyes illuminated with amazement. There was heat in his face. He smiled uncontrollably. His breath grew shorter. He had no exact idea what all of this delight was, but he definitely knew that Yugi’s newest statement was the cause. Joey brought Yugi to him from behind, and gently lowered him to his lap. Yugi lay still, and set his diary down, with his mouth agape and his face a bright crimson red. "Who… whoever you like now…" Joey began. "They’re gonna be pretty lucky…" He grinned with a bit of anticipation.

For the strength to be strong,

‘Joey…’ Yugi stared up at his friend’s handsome face. Watching those beautifully long eyelashes flutter like that… ‘What if I like you…?’ He smiled back.

For everything you do,

"So, why were you so tired…?" Joey asked as he played with his companion’s multi-colored hair.

"Um… cause last night… you were snoring…?" Yugi equivocated.

When I lose the will to win,

"Is that it? I know that Tea was hypnotized and all, but I guess Tristan can sleep through Armageddon! So it was only you that heard me, huh?"

"Uh huh. I don’t mind, though…" Yugi’s heart throbbed harder as he felt a few fingers stroke the top of his head down to his chin.

I can do anything

"Damn, pal. You should mind. …Cause if you wanna sleep beside me any longer…" Joey turned beet red. He hoped he hadn’t implied anything…

"It’s something I can learn to live with…" Yugi’s face became the exact same color as Joey’s. He felt some gentle skin trail from his neck down to his clothed pectorals. His nipples tightened. Maybe Joey did try to convey something…

And when I need a friend, you're always on my side,

Joey’s palm traveled on Yugi’s flat stomach and stopped at his gold pyramid-shaped item. "If I hadn’t retrieved a piece of this thing after I threw it in the pool, if you remember…" He examined the structure of the puzzle. "Then you wouldn’t be helping me like you always do."

"But I want to help you…" Yugi gasped as he felt Joey’s index finger inside his navel, hardly penetrating his shirt. "Oh…"

For a shield from the storm,

"That’s what I just said."

"No. I mean, I, myself, not Yami, want to help you…" Yugi wondered if that hand of Joey’s was going to venture into a forbidden place…

For the strength to be strong

"But, Yami is a part of you, right?" Joey rested his hand on Yugi’s lower abdomen. "I mean, he may be a spirit and all, but, I like to think of him as another addition to you."

For everything you do,

"A-actually, I never really thought of it that way… ‘No offense, Yami…’" Yugi almost expected Joey’s hand to touch his crotch.

Joey wrapped an arm around Yugi’s neck and chest, and leaned closer to his face. "Yugi…" He felt his tiny friend’s soft breath grow harder. ‘You’re like a guardian angel to me. Why is it that you don’t feel like you protect me…? And why am I groping you like this?! I can’t stop!’

Yugi looked up at his bigger partner’s brown eyes with an expression that seemed to invite him. "Joey… ‘I never realized it before, but you’re so handsome. If you’re touching me like this, then why don’t you just hurry up and put your mouth on mine, so I can get my first kiss with you over with…?’" He put his hand on Joey’s arm wrapped around him, not caring how he felt about whom, or where that other hand on his belly button wanted to go…

For a heart I can rely on through anything,

Joey studied Yugi’s face for a few moments, letting his hand travel past his pelvis.

"Ahh…!" Yugi let out a soft cry due to the sensations. He noticed Joey’s hand lifting away from his zipper and his own his own erection (There, I said it. Are you happy now?!) at the same time.

For a shield from the storm,

"Sorry…" Joey put that nosy hand on top of Yugi’s innocent hand. He looked down at the short boy’s wide-eyed face. "I… I know you’ve heard me say this a million times before, but…"

"What?" asked Yugi curiously. "What were you going to say that you have said a million times before…?"

For the strength to be strong,

"It’s just that… I will always be here for you," Joey replied, watching Yugi’s eyes glitter with satisfaction. "No matter where you are, or what happens to either of us."

For everything you do,

"I like it when you say things like that to me," Yugi responded, looking up at Joey’s friendly smile, and subconsciously searching for a romantic undertone. "It shows me how much you care… and I will always be here for you, too." He closed his eyes and rested contently in his blonde friend’s strong arms. ‘Thank you, Joey. You’ve made me feel a lot better. Let me focus on this moment with you…’

Joey placed his cheek on the smaller-sized boy’s child-like face. ‘Don’t ever cry again, Yugi. At least… not about love. And please, don’t ever cry for me…’

Little did the two confidants know, Tristan was spying on them through a peephole on the door outside. ‘Oh my God… Those two are definitely crushing on each other if they aren’t boyfriends already!’

*****

10:59 PM. Yugi apologized and explained his actions to Tea. "I hope you understand. It’s not really you at all, but…"

"I understand," Tea finished. "That was kind of rude me to like a spirit rather than the real you. I’m sorry. But…" she paused. "From the tone of your voice… and the way you sometimes go off into space like that…"

"Huh…?" Yugi became anxious again, but kept a relaxed form.

"It kinda sounds like you like someone else."

Yugi gasped and blushed.

"All right. Who is it?"

"Woah! It’s nothing like that! I mean… I just don’t think I’m ready for a relationship with anyone right now."

"Just because you say you’re not ready, doesn’t mean you don’t have the hots for anyone!" Tea teased. "So fess up. Who is it?"

"I’m going to bed," Yugi sighed and retreated from the conversation to change his clothes.

"Whatever. Good night." She turned away and suddenly faced Tristan. Tea scowled at him. "What the hell do you want, crackhead?!" She was still pissed off about the milk incident.

"Nothing," he replied. "Listen, Tea. I’m sorry about earlier…"

"Well, you’d better be!"

"Wait! What I’m trying to say, is…" Tristan lowered his voice to a whisper. "I’ve overheard you just now, and I think that Yugi likes Joey, and/or vice versa."

Tea also whispered, but with a harsher tone. "Will you cut it out?! I’m sick of you saying bull crap like this!"

"But it’s true!"

"Oh yeah? Well, prove it." She crossed her arms and gave him a skeptical look.

"What do you think they’re talking about?" Joey asked Yugi, who was lying on his stomach in his bed.

"I dunno," he shrugged and glanced back at Joey, sitting on his bed with his arms rested on his knees.

"Alright, then." Tristan glared in Tea’s eyes and crossed his arms as well. "When you were kidnapped, Joey was carrying Yugi in his arms as if he was a baby or something. And after you threw that milk carton at me, I was looking at them through the door and Joey had Yugi in his arms and they were cuddling!" he watched Tea’s mouth drop open, but that didn’t stop Tristan. "And to top it all off, he was fondling him before they cuddled! So, is that proof enough for ya?!"

Tea, speechless, looked at the oblivious Yugi and Joey conversing and exchanging smiles. She tried to counter Tristan’s argument by finding evidence that he was wrong.

"What did I tell ya? They’re gay. And you thought it wasn’t possible!"

Tea shook her head in disbelief. "They’re just friends. Now get your mind out of the gutter, pervert."

"Alright, believe what you want," Tristan turned his nose up and ran hand through his hair. "But you can’t stop the Tristan engine when it’s already running, so…"

Tea punched him in the nose. "You dumbass!" She stormed off.

"Crap," Tristan brought out a tissue and held it to his unfortunate bloody nose. "I suck at things like this…"

11:31 PM. "Yawn… Good night, everyone," Yugi announced to his companions.

"G’night," Tea and Tristan replied. They fell asleep almost immediately.

Joey studied Yugi as he calmly climbed into his pad.

"Joey," Yugi noticed his intriguing gaze. "Is there something that you want?"

"Oh, well, um…" Joey blushed and almost forgot his answer. "I… I just wanted to say I’m sorry…"

"For what?"

"For um… when you were crying, and I tried to comfort you, I started… touching you the way I shouldn’t have, and I’m really honestly sorry for that…" he looked down in shame. "I didn’t know what I was doing."

"Oh, that…" Yugi’s cheeks turned a bit rosy. "It’s all right… I don’t mind…"

Joey’s face reddened even more. "You… don’t…?"

"Uh…" Yugi’s face became completely red. He knew that anyone would assume that his last response would imply that he wanted to be second-based by a male friend. "Well, just forget about it. We should get some rest, anyway."

"Okay," Joey looked back at his partner. He scanned all of Yugi’s beautiful and youthful features like the curve of his cheeks and his tiny nose. Joey’s eyes then moved to the gold bangs swept across his forehead and temples. He reached out and touched those bright bangs and watched Yugi’s amethyst eyes follow Joey’s hand. He then rubbed his head, which also shook his hair. "You got to mess up my hair last night, so I get to mess up yours."

Yugi giggled and rearranged his mussed up hair. "Joey… I didn’t want to mess up your hair, I just wanted to feel it."

"You did mess it up anyway." Joey smirked. "And if you wanna know, your hair is softer than it looks."

Yugi could feel his palpitations grow fiercer and quicker.

"And one more thing…" Joey moved his face to Yugi’s ear, making his heart beat even faster–so fast it seemed as if it was on the verge of an explosion. "I’ll make sure you’ll sleep real good this time, so…" He whispered, placing a hand on Yugi’s soft face, and lightly caressed his cheekbone with his thumb. Joey felt the increased warmth in the cheek that his face was next to. "I promise not to snore. Okay?"

"Okay… Th-thanks…" Yugi stammered. ‘It was almost like he was going to kiss me… Joey’s so sneaky and romantic, but I bet he doesn’t know it yet.’ He placed his hand on Joey’s and clutched it gently. Before contemplating again, Yugi watched his confidant flush crimson, and grin subtly. ‘So I do like him after all… All right. I’ll let you kiss me, Joey. I’ll let you sweep me of my feet tomorrow morning and give me a tender and passionate French kiss that tastes of cinnamon raisin.’ Returning to the real world, Yugi released the hand that Joey had put on his face. ‘But like that will ever happen–especially tomorrow morning!’

Joey looked perplexed at Yugi’s disappointed face. ‘Why did he let go of my hand like that? I was only being friendly…’ Suddenly he realized something–he didn’t just like staying up with Yugi like this and talking, which is something they don’t do often. Joey loved it! He somehow wanted to make this an everyday thing–at least until the gang pays their way out, or finishes washing dishes for the manager. ‘I don’t know what this feeling is inside me, but I most definitely know that Yugi is the culprit. And I’m addicted to it! Guys aren’t really supposed to hold hands, but it’s not like I’m gonna smooch his brains out… Am I?’

They both reclined on their stomachs and rested their chins on their folded hands after thinking about one another. They locked eyes.

Then, Joey stood up. "Yugi."

"Huh?"

"Give me a hug again."

"Wha… why?"

"Um…" Joey scratched the back of his head nervously while searching for a reason to embrace Yugi. "You… gave me one yesterday…?"

Yugi checked to see if Tea and Tristan were still asleep. When it was confirmed, he stood and smiled with love. "Okay." He grabbed Joey around his waist and held on tightly.

Joey bent down and wrapped his arms around his small pal’s shoulders. He could sense the warmth and care of him. ‘Now this is an addiction that I don’t wanna get rid of! I don’t know why my heart is pounding like this, but… I know I’m happy with Yugi holding me.’

‘Oh my God… I can feel his heart beat like mine…’ Yugi nuzzled into Joey’s stiff abdominal. ‘Perhaps he does have a crush on me–he just doesn’t realize it. I should tell him the way I am feeling… But I should wait until the right time comes.’

They let go of each other reluctantly. Joey patted Yugi’s back. "Good night, Yugi."

"Sweet dreams, Joey…" Yugi responded sweetly, making Joey a little embarrassed.

After tenderly exchanging one more glance, they climbed into their own beds.

Yugi hoped that this time he would sleep more peacefully. However…

"Oh, I didn’t know you could do that with rice pudding, Yugi!"

‘NOOOOOOO!!! Not again!’ He wrapped the pillow around his head once more, and pounded his fist into the ground. ‘Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why?!?! Couldn’t you talk about someone else in your sleep?! Okay. That’s it, Jounouchi! I don’t like you anymore! In fact, I hate you!’ Yugi cried a waterfall of anime tears.

"Lick every little bit off me, baby…"

‘Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala, I’M NOT LISTENING!!!’ Yugi covered his ears and tossed and turned once more.

All of this noise would of course, wake Tea up. "Hwuh…? What’s going on…?"

‘Crap! I woke her up!’ Yugi discreetly stuffed Joey’s pillow in his mouth. ‘It’s all your fault, stupid Joey, you horn dog.’ He quickly pretended to be in a deep sleep while Joey was unknowingly gnawing his pillow.

Tea arose in her bed and searched around. "I thought I heard something." She then checked her friends. "Aww… Yugi’s so cute when he’s asleep… Heh heh. Joey, too." She lowered herself back down and closed her eyes.

‘Whew, that was close…’ Yugi thought to himself.

A few minutes after that very thought, Joey spit the pillow out of his mouth and his perverted sayings continued. "Mmm… you’re very good at this, Yugi… Now use both hands!"

‘Ah, just when I thought I would finally have peaceful rest…!’ Yugi became angrier, but he kept quiet and just stared at the ceiling, keeping his ears shut.

"I love you, Yugi."

"What…?" Yugi gasped in astonishment and removed his hands from his ears. He sat up and turned to face Joey. Did Yugi really hear what he thought he just heard?

"I love you. I really do. And I love you as Yami, too. I’m glad you’re all mine…"

‘Hm? I’m actually starting to like this…’ Yugi relaxed and stayed alert. Joey’s hentai words have turned into compliments and declarations of love.

"You’re really beautiful… I wish I could run away with you and marry you…"

‘Aww…. His sleep talking may not mean anything, but…’ Yugi smiled to himself and felt the butterflies flutter in his stomach (This is a serious problem. Perhaps he should stop eating butterflies?). ‘Oh, well. What’s a few lost hours of sleep?’ He continued to stay up the rest of the night for the sake of hearing those romantic words.

*****

Monday, 10:25 AM. Everybody hates Mondays. Joey was already awake, listening to his CD player. "I’m listening to Metallica," he informed as Tristan passed by, thinking he was still suspicious. Tristan just ignored him.

In reality, Joey was skipping through tracks on his sister’s CD. He was trying to learn the lyrics to a song he wanted to make fun of. However, his finger was one press of a button short of what he wanted. ‘Huh? This one sounds relaxing…’ Joey would’ve changed the track, considering how guys are in general–pop stars included, but he just sat and watched Yugi as he paid closer attention to the song.

Poor Yugi lay in his bed with a pounding headache and feeling dizzy. Staying up all night for Joey wasn’t a very smart move. ‘Why did I do that? I’m such an egomaniac.’ He spotted Joey looking at him and immediately turned away, pretending not to notice.

‘This song reminds of Yugi a little bit.’ Joey’s heart raced as if he just ran a marathon, but he somehow found it easier to breathe by watching his adorable friend. ‘Life is kind of hard on him, and the words almost talk about how I wanna be by his side all the time.’ But something hit him. ‘Oh no. Is this song making me gay…?’ Joey shook his head. ‘Nah, it’s the feminine side thing. It’s no big deal if I like this song, as long as nobody finds out.’

Just then, Tea walked up and answered a knock on the door. A young boy who looked about ten or twelve years old presumptuously came in.

"Is someone named Yugi here? I wanna play Duel Monsters with him."

"Oh, sorry. He’s sl-"

"It’s all right, Tea…" Yugi stood up groggily. He grudgingly dragged himself over to the boy. "Sure, I’ll play with y-" He tumbled on the floor and fell asleep. "Zzzzzzzz…"

Everyone looked at Yugi exasperatedly and sweatdropped.

As if on cue, Joey rushed over to the young man collapsed on the floor, and carefully lifted him in his secure grasp. "Er, sorry. This guy… he’s like a cat." He took another pleasing look at Yugi–one that would have made him turn fourteen shades of red, each deeper than the last. Joey turned to face the kid, while stroking his best friend’s hair and the delicately fair skin on his face. "Maybe another time?" He wandered off with Yugi.

"Uh… I think I hear my mom calling me, bye!" The little boy ran out.

"Well, that was weird," said Tristan.

Tea was now watching Joey holding Yugi in his slumber, cooing softly in his ear. She tried to figure out what Joey was saying, but the words were too quiet for her to hear. ‘Is this what Tristan was talking about? I know that guys don’t do this normally, but it doesn’t necessarily mean anything… does it?’

"Why are you always doing that?" Joey whispered inaudibly. "You’re such a sleepy boy… But I’ll keep you safe right here. Right in my arms…" He smiled warmly at the little teen, snoozing soundly. ‘I’ll bet he’s having a really pleasant dream…’

Outside, the child met Baka-man.

"So, you didn’t duel him?"

"Right. And the blonde guy you told me about seemed more interested in that spiky-haired guy…"

Baka-man growled. "Is that so…? You’re free to go, then." The kid ran off. ‘I’ll make sure his main interest is me…’

*****

3:28 PM. As Yugi awakened, he found himself in Joey’s arms and his ravishing mocha-eyed façade. ‘Joey… My chronic fatigue syndrome is your fault, I hope you realize that.’ He became more refreshed upon viewing his partner’s grin. ‘But, I’ll forgive you. After all, I’ve just had the most wonderful dream about you…’

"Oh, good," Joey sighed in relief. "You’re finally awake."

"I was starting to get a little worried about you. You know you’re gonna get sick if you don’t get enough rest."

"You know, Yugi…"

Joey’s delicious chocolate eyes melted into Yugi’s luscious grape eyes. "Um… Wow, you have really pretty eyes…" He blushed deeply.

Yugi reddened back. ‘That’s exactly what you have said to me in the dream. I finally ignored my apprehensions and declared my love to you. Then, you have responded graciously with a kiss… like the one in my first dream, too. After feeling your supple, soft lips on mine, you told me that you loved me, too–just like you did in your sleep… Could this be? I might not just like you …’ He placed a fist on his heart. ‘Oh no. I think I love you, Joey! I don’t know what to do with my new feelings for you…’

"Anyway, I brought you something to eat. Would you like some rice pudding?"

"NO!!!" Yugi escaped furiously out of the room.

Joey sat alone and bewildered. "But, you always liked it… Oh, well. More for me, then."

*****

9:23 PM. Yugi had just spent twenty minutes in the bathroom (It’s amazing what two days without proper rest can do to your stomach). As he exited, Joey appeared in the doorway.

"Go to bed, Yugi."

"Wha? Joey, you’re not my-"

"I know I’m not your mom, but I still care about you, Yugi." Joey swept the invalid in his arms again and plopped him in his bed. "So go to sleep. Now. Don’t even shower or change or anything."

Yugi discontentedly obeyed and tried to fall asleep. But he let a covert smile cross his lips. ‘He just said that he cared about me! No, wait. It shouldn’t be such a big deal since he’s my friend, but…’ He tittered silently. ‘It still makes me happy. He’s got me giggling like a schoolgirl!’

"I heard that," Joey called from afar.

Yugi blushed and stifled himself. Pretending to be asleep, he studied Joey, with his back turned. His shapely body compelled him to blow a surreptitious kiss, which was quite bold for him.

"Oh, do I have to come over there?" Joey smirked as he approached Yugi.

‘Did he answer to my flirt? Probably not, but…’ He simpered mischievously and turned away from his friend-turned-crush.

"Don’t pretend you’re not awake." Joey sat firmly beside Yugi’s bed and tucked him in. "I’m not gonna leave this spot until you are fast asleep."

‘Good. I don’t want you to!’ Yugi stayed put, but still embraced his joyous emotions.

*****

10:38 PM. Joey did of course, eventually leave Yugi’s side. As he left the vending machines (He’s so poor he dreams of bagel), a girl who was about in her early 20s and had shoulder-length dark blonde hair stopped him.

"Have you seen my boyfriend, Joshua?" She panted frantically. "He’s about 5’10" and has long brown hair…"

"No, I haven’t seen anyone like that," Joey replied. "I’ll tell ya if I see him, ‘kay?"

"Thanks anyway," She said as Joey departed.

‘I wonder what that was for…?’ Joey thought to himself as he left for the elevator. Upon entrance to his room, he called, "Is Yugi still asleep?"

"Of course," Tea answered. She was just about to go to bed, too.

"Sweet," Joey strode over to his attractive companion in repose after his other two friends went to sleep. Though he wouldn’t admit it, he absolutely adored the way Yugi slept. He was so pure, calm, and carefree. Joey settled himself on the bed next to Yugi. He seemed to be purring…

He neared himself closer to Yugi’s face. He noticed he was sweating! ‘What?! Is he still sick?’ His palm touched Yugi’s forehead. It was much warmer than usual. Then, he started breathing heavily. "Yugi! Are you all right?!" Joey lifted the smaller adolescent by the shoulders. The rest of Yugi’s body overheated as well.

"Ooh…" Yugi moaned. He panted more rapidly than ever. A bulge underneath his blankets greeted Joey and made him turn bright red. It was obvious that the naïve male was having another scandalous dream.

"Yugi…" Joey fully embraced him. He then caressed Yugi’s face and neck with one hand, and let the other curiously stroke his boner, which intensified his orgasm. Joey pinned the unconscious boy down and lowered his face down to his. Then, something hit him. ‘I’m attracted to him, aren’t I…? Oh no! Not this guy! Not my friend!!’ He drew himself away from Yugi and buried his own face in his hands.

But after a while, the shame dissolved. Joey lifted his head from his palms and looked up to heaven–where he knew Yugi belonged. ‘Well… at least my feelings for him aren’t completely lusty… I’ve been through a lot with him. I want to be there for him 24-7. Life is so meaningful with him and crappy without him. And, I even let him touch my hair–something I’d never do with anyone else…’ He laid himself beside the spikey-haired bishounen and held him close. ‘So… I’m actually in love with Yugi! I just can’t tell him yet. He’ll freak out… Yami Yugi might take it better, though."

Joey smiled lovingly at his new object of affection. "I hope you’re dreaming of me, because… I dream of you…" He whispered quietly in Yugi’s ear and brushed his lips against it before falling into a tranquil slumber. This time, he didn’t talk in his sleep…

However, Joey did not give any thought that he would wake Tea up. She had viewed the whole scene. ‘For once in his life, Tristan is actually right!’

*****

Tuesday, 8:32 AM. Joey met a girl with brown hair on the way back to his room. "Blond hair?"

"Yes, her name was Nicole. She was looking for Joshua."

"Oh yeah, her… She asked me about him last night, and unfortunately the guy never turned up."

"Oh, man… If you see her again, tell her I’m looking for her, okay? By the way, I’m Joshua’s sister, Chie."

"Okay, Chie. If I find Nicole, I’ll tell her about you…"

"Thanks!" said Chie as Joey disappeared. After he was out of sight, she turned around and met the chestnut-haired Joshua with a glaze in his eyes. "Oh, hey! Nicole was looking for y--"

Unfortunately, he also had a butcher knife in his hand. "Nicole is gone!" He thrust it inside poor unsuspecting Chie.

Joey stopped as he heard a faint screeching noise. "What was that?" He looked around, checking for danger. "Must be my imagination…" Still, he gladly skidded across the corridors with a shiny silver box. ‘Finally! Mission accomplished!’

As he reached for the door, Tea and Tristan suddenly appeared with their arms crossed, blocking the way.

"Hello, Joey…"

"Hey, could you move? I need to see if Yugi is in there."

"Of course," Tea answered.

"But, there is…"

"…still the matter of…"

"WHAT YOU DID LAST NIGHT!" Tea and Tristan shouted in unison.

‘D’oh!’ Joey flushed, guilty-as-charged. (*Points at Joey* Ha, ha!)

Meanwhile, Yugi Mutou was still in his room discovering the significance of his dreams and writing new entries in his diary. ‘I know my dreams have a lit of sex and nudity in them, but they’re actually good signs. It means I am open and adaptable and things will start to look up. But, I was drugged in that one dream yesterday, and it means that someone is so jealous of me, they want me to get hurt. I mean, who could be jealous of me, of all people?! But at least, I fell in love with Joey in that dream. It means that someone somewhere loves me very much and is about to tell me so. To be honest with you, diary, I really hope it’s him. It’s weird, though. He used to be really mean to me and make me cry in the past, and now he tells me to not cry and he always wants me to be comfortable. Should I tell him the way I feel? I just hope he doesn’t find out about my latest dream. It was really dirty. The strange thing is, both Yami and Joey were in it! And I was completely submissive to them. I felt every bit of pleasure as if it were real.’ Yugi stopped writing. He took off his Millennium puzzle and studied it before returning to his diary. You know how Joey said that Yami is a part of me? Does this mean he loves Joey as much as I do?’

Suddenly, the gold puzzle started glowing. Yami no Yugi appeared before his hikari in the spiritual world.

//Hello, Aibou.//

Outside of the room, Joey futilely tried to defend himself against the observant eyewitnesses. "W-what d’ya mean…?"

"Don’t play dumb!" Tristan pointed a finger at the blonde defendant. "I’ve been spying on you and Yugi alone, and Tea told me all about your ecchi advances on the poor victim."

"WHAT?!" Joey shouted in embarrassment and fury.

"You’ve got a crush on him. You wanna have like, ten thousand of his babies!"

The other two friends gave Tristan weird looks and sweatdropped.

"Moron!" Tea smacked the back of his head.

Inside, the aforementioned Yugi and Yami began discussing the recent events.

/Y-Yami… You do know about these strange dreams I’ve had?/

//Yes, Hikari no Yugi. It is my fault.//

/What do you mean?/

//This explanation also refers to Joey’s sleep talking.// Yami seated himself next to his light. //I have been sending you messages in your sleep.//

Back outside, Tea was still prosecuting Joey. "Still, he’s right," she thrust a slender index finger at the perpetrator’s red face. "You kissed him!"

"That’s a friggin’ lie!!!" exclaimed Joey. ‘I rubbed my lip against his ear. It doesn’t count as a kiss… Does it?’

Back inside…

/Yami, what’s going on?/

//Err… nothing. Last night, Aibou… Joey has finally realized that he loves you.//

Yugi, startled and ecstatic, almost forgot to breathe upon hearing that statement. /R-really…?!/

// I know that he hasn’t been kind to you in the past, but when you two became friends, Yugi, I sensed his growing sentimental feelings for you and you as myself. However, Joey repressed them so much, that they remained in his subconscious. And thus, his sleep talking is the result. You know, sleep disorders like this often stem from the subconscious mind.//

/So, you’re saying he couldn’t hold them in anymore?/

//Right.//

/But what about my dreams…?/

Back outside…

"You also love to grope little boys, don’t you?" Tristan smirked.

"I even saw you touch his balls!" Tea gloated.

"WHAT THE @#$%?!?!?!" Joey rouged even more. ‘How do they know…?!’

"What’s in the box? Sex toys?" Tristan pointed at the gray box in Joey’s arm.

"Hell, no! They’re my damn cards, baka!"

Inside again…

// Your dreams are a reminder of your own budding feelings for Joey. And, that falling in love with him would be highly beneficial for you.//

/Really. Then why were you in them… trying to screw me, no less?! Do you realize how far we’ve gone?!/

Yami backed away. //How far…?//

Poor Yugi’s face had a ton of broken capillaries. /Not just all the way… *gulp* …Grand Slam…/ (Joey taught him all the baseball metaphors and he made that one up.)

//That was just I, saying…// He casually wrapped an arm around light half. //…That the relationship will go well, and you’re sexy enough for Joey, even though you are small. And personally, I wouldn’t mind sharing him with you at all…//

/So… you love him the way I do… ‘I’m sexy…?’/

//Yes… ‘Should I tell him about how Joey touched him last night? Er… maybe not. Aibou’s outraged enough as it is.’// Yami cleared his throat. He stood up and helped Yugi do the same. //All I can say is that, Joey loves us, Aibou, since he believes that we are one person with opposite halves.//

Yugi grinned anxiously. /Yami, when should I tell him how I feel?!/

//He is able to admit it to himself now, but…// Yami averted his gaze. He sighed in disappointment. //This is all too new to him...// He noticed his hikari growing despondent. Yami Yugi gave him a reassuring hug. //It’s okay, Aibou. You should just give it some time…// He playfully pecked Yugi’s forehead and disappeared.

In the real world, Yugi blushed very brightly and put a hand on where Yami’s kiss landed.

Outside again… (Boy, am I dizzy!)

"If those are your cards, then how did you get them?"

"I just stumbled into a weird hideaway on my way from the lunchroom. It was damp and murky, and it smelled like dead things, but…"

"Nice lie, pervo," said Tristan.

"No, wait," Tea interrupted. "Did that place have rotting bodies? Cause I saw a corpse of this one chick who asked me about a guy named Joshua…"

Joey froze in shock. "She just asked me about him last night! Her name’s Nicole, right?"

"Really? She never told me her name…"

"Her friend told me her name… Well, whatever. We should just get outta here ASAP, whether we can pay or not. So, can I see Yugi please?"

"Sure, Loverboy," Tristan walked out of the doorway with Tea.

As Joey turned the doorknob, Tea sang, "Joey and Yugi sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G…"

"HEY!!!"

"Yeah, Tea. It should be more like, ‘Joey and Yugi sitting in a tree, F-U-C–’ OW!" Tristan felt a feminine fist on his skull.

"They couldn’t have gone that far, you know."

Joey entered the room completely. "Yugi! I missed you."

"Y-you did…?" Yugi clasped his hands timidly and flashed his sweetheart a cuddly smile.

"W-well, I…" Joey cast his head down, attempting to let his honey-colored hair cover the red on his face. "I… finally got my cards back…"

"Oh…" The smallish boy had a surge of discouragement.

"What’s wrong? Please don’t cry…"

As his companion approached him, time seemed to slow down. Yugi could see nothing else; just the gorgeous and chivalrous Joey Wheeler. It was difficult to speak when he settled a masculine hand on his jaw. "I-it’s just that… s-some of the cards in your collection are symbols of our friendship…"

"I’m sorry I beat you to it," Joey stared into Yugi’s large eyes. "If it means that much to you, we can open this box together. And, I’ll tell you something that might make you feel better… ‘If it doesn’t scare you, that is.’"

‘Is he going to tell me about his love for me, after all…?’ Yugi’s heart bounced around, anticipating the good news.

"See, I had a dream last night where I was taking a bubble bath, and I had a bouquet of roses with me…" Joey continued to gaze into Yugi’s sparkling purple eyes while he opened the padlock with him. "You came in, then I gave them to you. ‘What am I saying? I’m not ready for this!’"

"D-did I like them…?’" Eyelids blinked flirtatiously at the taller boy, about to lift the lid on his case. ‘Perhaps Yami was wrong… But, he was right about my dreams, wasn’t he?

"Yeah… even though they were pink… ‘Ah, maybe I should just quit while I’m ahead. He was being sarcastic, wasn’t he…?’" Joey placed his thumbs on the lid. His heart leaped as Yugi did the same. "But, I have a confession to make."

Yugi’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Is this it? Is he gonna declare his love to me?’ He flushed coyly. ‘I hope so…’

"Um, I read your dream book, Yugi. And, it told me that the bubble bath part means that someone wants to protect me, and the giving you roses part means that someone loves me very much…" He watched the pink on Yugi’s cheeks grow red as they slowly opened his metal box. ‘Dammit! Bad Joey! Look at poor Yugi. He’s already freakin’ out! Joey Wheeler, I suggest you back down, right now!’

"Um… really…? ‘That dream’s telling Joey about me. I bet he has no idea that I want to be his protector and lover…’" All Yugi could concentrate on was his pounding heart and those luminous eyes advancing his own.

"Yeah… ‘You moron…! Why are you still going?! Argh! He’s makin’ me even more nervous!’" Joey began to open the box fully. "Don’t tell anyone, but, right now, I’m thinking… that maybe…"

"Yes… Joey?" Yugi felt a husky breath on his face. He tilted his head and half-closed his eyes, waiting for his first kiss…

"From what you said to me earlier…" Their faces finally touched, but their lips remained separate. Joey appeared to finally be rid of his fears policing his actions and wanted nothing more than to indulge in the taste of his lovable friend’s mouth. He continued admitting the secret. "The person who wants to protect me, and even fall in love with me… is…"

The two suddenly broke apart and fell unconscious. A dark gas filled Yugi and Joey’s lungs. All that was in the metal case was a note that read, "Ha, ha, ha. Like I’d be stupid enough to just let you have your cards back. This is my way of upgrading security. ~Love, Yoshizuri-san. P.S., I DON’T like the nickname you gave me!"

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Awwww… DAMN! Why did that bastard have to… It seems that our heroes will never become koibito… ;_; Or will they? In case you were wondering, the Yugi x Yami scenes were just there to satisfy the die-hard Yugi x Yami fans that are just here to flame me. Yugi has weird dreams, but they’re just that: weird. And yes, I did like the threesome one (You can call me an ecchi slut if you want).

Whelp, the next chapter is gonna tell us how that hot air of Baka-man’s is gonna mess with Yugi-kun and Katsuya-kun’s heads (In case you’re wondering, a lot of pressure was created with the gas, so that’s why Joey didn’t feel any weight difference in the box). And yes, I promised drama for this chapter, but I got into a debate with my hentai friends who aren’t even into J x Y/YY on how to end the story, and that’s why I have more lime than I expected (One of them wanted it to end with Yugi waking up, figuring that the whole event was a dream, but then he finds that Joey’s in the same bed with him, and they’re both naked, and there’s beer bottles on the floor, and condoms everywhere, and white stuff coming out of their mouths and/or asses… But be glad that friend isn’t writing my story!).

But anyway… I’d like to thank the KG site for letting me submit my fic. And, I also give mega kudos to the people who gave me such nice reviews! (And I was so nervous…^_^;) thanks for sticking with me and my Yugi x Jounouchi stories through and through! (This sounds like one of those little sections that the authors write in shoujo mangas…)

Good Night… For Now… ^_~