Greetings Readers! Even though I have not finished Heat yet, I felt like starting a new story. I hope you like it! The idea for this came from a suggestion from yugioratemlover - so thanks! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters.

Joey shot a skeptical look at the tea in front of him before fidgeting slightly in his chair and looking around. Where are Mai and Serenity when ya need 'em?

Loyalty and friendship meant everything to Joey. Ever since his best pal Yugi had stood up for him and Tristan, even after they'd been total jerks to him before, he'd given up his more selfish ways and valued friendship and trust more than anything. He would do anything for his friends, even die for them if he had to. He shifted once more again in his chair, hoping to miss the scrutiny of the girl sitting across from him.

But sitting in to have 'girl talk,' as the women in his life called it, with Téa about her boy troubles was too much.

He tried to focus once more on what Téa was saying, and not on the fact that he looked extremely girly and foolish sitting across from Téa in a local café with cups of steaming tea in front of them. Coulda at least sprung for coffee, he quietly muttered to himself.

"Joey, are you even listening?"

Joey's head shot up. "Uh….of course I was!"

"Sure you were." Téa gave him a half-hearted glare before looking back down at her tea and sighing. "Sorry, Joey, I just…need someone to talk to about this."

Watching his friend forlornly stir cream into her cooling tea, Joey felt lower than a whipped puppy for not paying better attention. "Sorry, Téa, I'm listening now." He drew a finger across his chest twice. "Cross my heart."

Téa shot him a weak smile before bending her head back over her tea. "It's…about Yugi."

"Yugi?" Joey snapped to attention. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Téa assured him, "at least, as much as he can be. I know that Atem's leaving was harder for him than for any of us."

It had been six months since Yami had left for the Afterlife. To no one's surprise, it had been an almost painful transition for the old gang as they adjusted to not having his presence nearby. But still, with time had come acceptance, and the knowledge that Yami was content and where he belonged had helped soothe the loss of their friend. Yugi had been morose for a few days, but seemed to perk up after the first few weeks – it had gotten to the point where they could all reminisce about the Pharaoh without deep cringes of grief punctuating every sentence. But Yugi hadn't completely fooled his friends.

They hadn't missed the occasional times during a conversation when he would lose focus and tilt his head suddenly to the side, as though straining to hear something. There were times when he would reach for the Puzzle, only to find his hand grasping air. Whenever it happened, he would come back to consciousness quickly, but not without a look of disappointment briefly crossing his face. Yugi was tough, and he would pull through – but it still hurt the group to see him so sad.

And, in typical Yugi fashion, he hadn't let on about how hurt he was.

"No, this has more to do with me than to do with him," Téa said, picking up a napkin and beginning to crumple it, "actually it has a lot to do with him too – but he's so stubborn…" She groaned.

"What is it, Téa?" Joey asked, intrigued and confused now.

Téa took a deep breath.

"I…I love him, Joey."

Joey stared at her. Then blinked.

Then jumped up into the air whooping gleefully, sending his chair flying back. He got several scandalized looks from the other patrons in the café, but could care less as he bounded up and down. "I knew it! I knew it!"

Téa had been trying to grab his shirt cuff to yank him back down before the two of them were kicked out, but froze as his words sunk in. "You…knew?"

"Just a guess!" Joey hooted, merrily keeping out of reach of her hands, "But I was right! And so was Mai, and Serenity, and Tristan…"

"They all knew?"

"Yep," Joey grinned, sliding back down into his chair after catching the door to the manager's office swaying ominously. "It was pretty obvious, Téa."

Much to his surprise, Téa didn't break out into a smile or punch him in the shoulder. Instead, her face sunk and she buried it in her hands. "So how come he doesn't get it?"

"Who? Yugi?" Joey beamed. "Ya need to tell him. Sheesh!"

Téa's head shot up, and she gave him a fiery glare. "I have tried – he just won't listen!"

Joey stopped yelling, and his cheerful face slumped in sudden confusion. "What do ya mean?"

Letting her face fall back into her hands, Téa said, "I've tried to tell him…but he thinks I don't mean it. He thinks I really like the Pharaoh, and I'm just confused now that he's gone."

It would have been a lie to say that Téa had never been attracted to the Pharaoh. How could she not? He was brave, regal, and looked out for his friends. He was incredibly handsome and had saved her on more than one occasion. One of the reasons why she had been so eager to concoct that 'date' that Yugi had suggested to help Yami recover his memories was because she liked the idea of being on a date with the mysterious, handsome spirit.

But as time passed, her respect and friendship for the spirit had increased, but her crush on him had not. Instead, she began to notice that all those traits that she had admired in him, Yugi had had too. And what's more, Yugi was funny, sweet, and had one of the biggest hearts for everyone. When Yugi had been captured by the Orichalcos, the misery she had experienced had been more than enough proof that she loved him, while she merely felt friendship for Yami.

That and the fact that seeing any woman flirt with her Yugi made her feel a powerful urge to beat the tar out of them.

"But," Joey drew out, confused, "I thought he liked you, too. That way, I mean." In the back of his mind, Joey felt himself getting too drawn into the girl drama thing. But he could always swear Téa to secrecy about it and go chase down some punks later to get his manliness back.

"He does?" Téa asked hopefully. If he does than I still have a chance! But… "Then that means he's being noble again, doesn't it?"

Joey nodded. "Yeah. But that's typical Yug'."

Téa chewed the corner of her mouth. "So how do I let him know that it's him?" Her eyes lit up and she grabbed Joey's sleeve. "Will you help me? I think I have an idea!"

She was his friend. He said yes.

A/N: Oh, Yugi, why do I write you so oblivious…because it's fun, I suppose. Lol

Thanks for reading and please review! They make me happy!