A/N: This is my first slash fic. It's not really very slashy, more like a one-sided crush that just happens to be a man for another man. :) I had never entertained this pairing until I read the lovely fic 'Kissing Away the Anger' by Evil Cosmic Triplets. It gave me my own ideas, and hence, this fic was born!

Joey Gladstone had come to live in the Tanner household to be there for Danny and his three girls. After the death of his wife Pam, Danny had been shell-shocked and insisted that he (and Jesse Katsopolis, Danny's brother-in-law) move in, to help him manage looking after his daughters.

Joey hadn't minded. Originally, Joey didn't think that he would stay there too long. He thought that as soon as Danny got back on his feet and recovered, he would move out again. This, however, did not prove to the be the case; Danny's girls were the sweetest things, and it wasn't long before he felt almost like they were his kids, too. Soon, Joey couldn't imagine living his life any other way.

So, it only came naturally that they were all together as one huge family on this, the most special of days – Jesse's wedding day. He was getting married to Rebecca Donaldson, who had many positive qualities, one of which being that she got along well the whole Tanner clique. This was a trait, Joey thought, that was a must if she wanted to be a member of Jesse's life – as much as Jesse enjoyed portraying himself as a tough, macho figure who only cared about motorcycles and Elvis, Joey knew that the girls were incredibly important to Jesse, which Joey found quite endearing.

Yes, Joey liked Becky, and so this was why he couldn't quite pinpoint why this day was leaving him feeling sad. It was because Jesse had moved from the world of unmarried men where Joey resided into the world of marriage, leaving Joey behind. Or at least, that was how Joey kept trying to justify it to himself. He stoically refused to entertain any other thoughts about why he might be feeling so melancholy on this, one of his best friend's wedding days.

Jesse was saying his goodbyes to everyone now. He'd already hugged the girls and allowed himself to be embraced by Danny, and so it was now Joey's turn. Theirs had started as an odd relationship. While both men had been close to Danny, they hadn't particularly known each other very well until they'd moved into the house with their joint goal of helping Danny raise his girls. This had brought them together, and although they still occasionally bickered, Joey considered Jesse one of his very best friends. He thought that Jesse felt the same; why else would he have chosen Joey to be his best man?

"Joseph." One word, a thousand emotions.

"Jess."

Joey reached forward and grabbed him, gripping him with a fierce intensity that looked like it surprised even Danny, hugger extraordinaire. Jesse's back felt wonderfully strong and muscled underneath his fingertips. He suppressed the sudden urge that he had to stroke Jesse's shiny hair, for two reasons. For one, it would piss Jesse off to have anyone ruin his perfect coif, Joey knew; the more pressing reason, however, was that it was something that was simply not a permissible or acceptable thing to do to someone who was a friend. His best friend; nothing more, nothing less.

"Hey, man, I'll be back soon," Jesse protested. He was smiling, but he looked slightly confused, like he didn't know what all the fuss was about.

Joey mentally shook himself; he was getting carried away. He smiled back at Jesse, trying not to let his gaze stray to the other man's dimples that framed his infectious smile. "Yeah, I know."

Joey watched as if from a distance as the newlyweds hopped onto Jesse's motorcycle and zoomed off into the horizon. He plastered a smile onto his face and waved enthusiastically, as was expected of him to do, and tried to ignore the aching, melancholy feeling which was beginning to settle into the pit of his stomach.

As the family trooped back inside, Joey couldn't help but feel that the house was twenty times emptier, even though Jesse was the only one who had left. Joey busied himself with helping Danny get the girls ready for bed, grateful for the distraction from his troubling thoughts.

"Joey, is Uncle Jesse going to move out?" Stephanie questioned softly, as Joey tucked her into bed and kissed her on the cheek. "I don't want him to."

Joey's stomach flipped over at the prospect, but he struggled not to let his face show any emotions. "I don't want him to either, Steph, but I don't know for sure. We'll have to talk to him about it when he gets back, okay?"

"Okay," Stephanie agreed, already looking as though she was half asleep. DJ was already sound to the world in the bed across from her sister. Joey tiptoed out of the room, turning off the light along the way.

He met up with Danny in the kitchen, who had said his good nights to the older girls earlier. He had just put Michelle to bed.

"Cup of tea?" Danny asked, pouring himself a mugful.

"Yes, please," Joey said gratefully

Danny brought the two mugs to the table, and Joey clasped his hands around his, finding the warmth soothing.

"Steph just asked if I think that Jesse's going to move out," Joey said, taking a small sip of his tea. "What do you think?"

Danny shrugged. "I mean, I wouldn't mind if he wanted to stay here with Becky, but do you really think he – or she, for that matter – will want to stay here as a married couple?"

There was that twist in Joey's gut again; he felt like he was being punched. He tried to muster up a smile, so as not to betray his unhappiness at hearing Jesse being referred to as a married man. "I don't know, Danny. I would really like if he would, though," Joey admitted, daring to reveal a minute portion of his tumultuous emotions to his first best friend.

"Me too," Danny agreed, not seeming to notice the discomfort that Joey was in. "It's been good here, hasn't it? I've enjoyed this arrangement. It's gone really well overall, and the girls are so used to having you both here now."

Joey nodded. "It's been good," he repeated quietly, taking a deep, measured breath. This conversation was sounding too much like the beginning of the end, and Joey couldn't bear to speak about it any longer. "Danny, I think it's bedtime for me." He swallowed another sip of tea, pouring the rest of it down the drain in the sink. "Good night."

Joey retreated to his bedroom and struggled not to think of Jesse any longer. He felt raw and vulnerable, and...and afraid. He carefully climbed under his bedclothes and lay on his side in the bed, gazing at the wall in front of him. His mind was struggling to come to terms with these new emotions, feelings that had lain dormant, that he had tried to keep suppressed. They had been there a long time, Joey realized, but he had never acknowledged them until now.

Realistically, Joey knew that both he and Jesse could move out of the Tanner household. Danny was perfectly capable of raising his girls on his own now, and DJ was old enough that he wouldn't need to get a sitter all the time if Danny wanted to go out somewhere.

But Joey was a creature of habit, and he enjoyed things staying the same. And that included Jesse. Jesse, with his obnoxious smirk, soulful brown eyes, and long lashes. Jesse, who could be so infuriating in one second and adorable in the next. Jesse, who Joey was now actively struggling not to imagine laying in bed next to him, instead of with his new wife.

Yes, Joey may have come for Danny and the girls, but he stayed for Jesse.