The weather was warm and the skies were clear, crisp green grass swaying with the gentle breeze that swept past the rows of people seated, all dressed in their best clothes. It was a special occasion, one that Joey hadn't realized he was waiting for until now.
He was standing on the right side of the flower-decorated alter, his hair combed and hands in front of him as he watched his best friend's eyes follow his wife-to-be down the aisle, entranced by the sweet moment and anticipation of their wedding day.
Her white dress flowed behind her, her father accompanying her with his arm intertwined with hers, the young flower girl in front of them tossing petals around the outstretched aisle runner and desperately trying to keep ahead with her older sister and father before she veered off to the side with the rest of the bridesmaids and Tristan's hands enveloped his bride's to hold them while the Minister officially began the ceremony and her father took his seat by her side of the alter.
Tristan's family were sitting at the front: his mother, sister, and nephew seated together while his brother stood behind Bakura and fought back tears at seeing Tristan on his special day. Yugi had offered him a handkerchief earlier, which he declined, but he seemed to be doing okay.
Joey listened intently the entire time, though his legs were cramping from standing still for so long, he ignored the ache in favor of watching Tristan give his vows to the woman of his dreams, her eyes watering before the tears finally fell. Joey couldn't blame her, but her crying had caused a chain reaction, and with her mascara beginning to run, Tristan's brother finally broke and Joey could hear him sobbing behind him.
Then Tristan began to cry.
His words were slurring as he wiped his eyes on the back of his suit sleeve, but he was still determined to get his feelings out and convey them through the same words he had practiced over and over in front of Joey the night before to make them perfect.
On cue, Joey pulled the ring from his pocket and handed it to Tristan, their gazes meeting and Joey giving him a thumbs up as he turned around to finish the ceremony. The rings were slipped on each other's fingers and sealed with the final kiss, everyone finally cheering and clapping in celebration.
The tender moment was broken when Duke appeared beside Joey and tossed a bucket of rice on top of Tristan, the man tensing and pulling back from the kiss to yank the bucket from him and slam it over the other's head in retaliation.
From the other side of the alter, Téa and Serenity laughed and walked over to break them up as the ever-present peacekeepers. Serenity fussed and plucked the leftover rice from Duke's hair while Tristan's wife did the same, and Yugi and Téa were cleaning up the mess the best they could before Bakura stepped in.
Duke's stunt had reminded him of the older days, where they were all dumb kids again, but the illusion hadn't lasted when there came the announcement of the reception and champagne being served after the pictures were taken. Everyone was looking forward to the dinner that was prepared, but family and friends were sectioned off to begin the photoshoots before leaving for the party.
As promised, Joey swept Tristan off his feet during the groomsmen photoshoot. He and the rest of the men were lined together while Joey had picked Tristan up and held him, Tristan's outstretched legs nearly hitting Duke in the face before the shutter went off. The photographer was forced to save the picture at their request to have it framed in Tristan's new home.
The crowd wasn't large; Tristan and his wife wanted a small wedding with only their family and closest friends invited, but even then, the transfer from the wedding to the reception hall took over a half hour. The new married couple were often stopped and congratulated by the older folks and asked for personal pictures, while others carried conversation about the wedding until they all made it to the hall for the party.
Joey helped with the decorating, tables and chairs arranged with flowers and plate settings that cost more than Joey's monthly income alone. It was no small thanks to Kaiba Corp., who allowed them to rent the space out as well as the furniture for a lower price than what was expected.
Speaking of…
Joey and the rest of their friends moved to the long table at the end while Tristan and his wife prepared to enter when they were ready, and the rest of the guests were filing into their assigned tables or getting the snacks that were offered on the many various trays around the room.
One table in particular was saved for Mokuba and Seto near their own, but the seats were empty and Joey didn't see them during the wedding. He figured they wouldn't show up, but Tristan wanted to send them an invitation anyways despite their rocky relationship with the Kaiba brothers. If it weren't for their company, they wouldn't have afforded the party to begin with.
Joey stole Téa's cupcake from her plate and licked the icing off before she could take it back, Joey sticking his frosting-covered tongue out when she reached for it and retracted out of disgust before grabbing another from the cake stand to replace it. "I thought you'd have better manners at Tristan's wedding, but I see you're the same as ever."
"I'd only do this at Tristan's wedding. If you and Yuge ever got hitched, I'd…" Joey paused, "Yeah, I'd act the same." Joey popped a piece of cupcake in his mouth for emphasis, laughing at the smack on his arm he earned from Téa at the display of table etiquette. "Just 'cause we all got respective jobs now doesn't mean I can't act like I usually do."
Téa rolled her eyes, but her smile returned quickly after, the woman familiar with Joey's attitude for years. She had flown over from America for Tristan and had stayed a few days before to catch up with everyone after being gone for so long, but it wasn't just her. Everyone had gone their separate ways after graduation and Joey was honest to say that he hadn't spoken to anyone besides Tristan since they left.
Yugi had gone to Egypt while Bakura left to travel the world, and he and Tristan stayed in Domino. Joey landed a desk job that wasn't half bad for the pay, and he dueled on weekends to earn himself some extra cash during tournaments to help pay the bills.
Tristan went on to work with his father, but soon left to pursue his own career in Duel Disk mechanics and Kaiba Corp. even hired him not long after. Joey was surprised to see that a guy with average grades in school could find his way around all that high-tech junk, but he supposed he was something of a genius with machinery. He could give Kaiba a run for his money someday.
The last of the guests had finally settled into the room by the time Tristan and his wife walked in, arm in arm, and they maneuvered around the tables together before they joined the rest of them and Tristan had enough sense to pull her chair out for her before they sat down.
Then as the commotion died down her father stood, a broad man with gray hair and sharp eyes that hadn't dulled with age, and took the microphone that was offered to him. He placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder before he began the welcoming speech, thanking everyone that showed up to witness her special night.
"I realize the invitations were of short notice, but I couldn't be more glad that so many of you could make it today. I can see that my daughter has made so many wonderful friends, and many more wonderful memories with her new husband, which I'm sure—" he glanced at Tristan for a moment with a wide smile, his face wrinkling with the expression, "—will continue to make her happy."
The speech was met with a round of applause and congratulations to the married couple once more, her father waiting out the commotion before he handed the microphone to Joey.
Joey hadn't expected the transfer to happen so quickly, he was planning to make his own speech after dinner was served, but he wasn't about to deny the old man his request. Clearing his throat, he grabbed the mic and aimed to loosen the tie around his neck, but held off to remain presentable.
"I never made a speech at a wedding before." Joey could hear someone near the back of the room shift, and knowing that all eyes were on him, the crowd's silence made him feel nervous. Being the center of attention was fine, but he had never done something so important in his life. He didn't want to screw this up for Tristan.
He looked down at his friend, who was waiting for his speech like everyone else, his fingers intertwined with his wife's under the table.
Joey turned back to the crowd again, swallowing down the lump in his throat and shoving his free hand in his pocket. "I, uh, slept in this morning and nearly missed the train to get here, so I guess you could say I'm not the most responsible person out there."
That earned him a few laughs, and helped ease the atmosphere for him a bit. He prepared himself now that he tested the waters, though his was uncertain whether including his personal details was the right thing to do. Everyone present were either friends and family of Tristan or of his beloved, but not everyone knew Joey so intimately. His initial plan had a fifty-fifty chance of revealing his feelings or ruining Tristan's wedding.
Taking a gamble, Joey pushed on and hoped for the best. "…My whole life has been a series of screw ups and bad decisions. I wasn't a good kid growing up, and I did some things that I'm not proud of. I was one of those people who would sleep in school and someone you would warn your kid never to hang out with because he was a bad influence.
"I got into some bad stuff when I was young and I wasn't doing myself any favors by ignoring my problems and only doing what I wanted to do. I didn't set rules for myself, and my father sure as hell didn't try to stop me." The mention of his father had made Tristan cringe, and Joey had half a mind to stop and apologize, but he had a feeling if he stopped now, he'd never get out what he wanted to say.
"As you all can guess, I didn't have the best childhood. I was pretty much a lost cause and I gave up on the idea that I would get anywhere in life." Joey cleared his throat again and he could feel his palm sweat as he held the microphone close, watching the people in the room in growing discomfort. "It wasn't until Tristan talked some sense into me that I even considered myself worthy of any amount of kindness."
Joey could feel Tristan's gaze on him, but he didn't want to look over this time. "He was there for me ever since that day, and he pulled me out of a rough spot in my life. He saved me. He was so supportive and kind to everyone he met, and there were times when I felt that I didn't deserve him as a friend."
"Joey—"
"I ain't finished," Joey cut Tristan off before he could try and stop him, "This is something you needed to hear years ago. I'm using this moment now to let you and everyone else know just how much you mean to me."
That seemed to settle Tristan down, the man reluctantly shrinking back into his seat and letting Joey carry on, his wife's hand squeezing his own in reassurance.
Joey sighed, his breath shaking before he pushed his bangs from his eyes out of nervous habit. He then addressed his wife instead of the guests, realizing that these were the words they both needed to hear the most. "Throughout my time, I have never met someone more honest, trustworthy, and loyal as your husband. In my heart, I know that you've chosen the greatest man to be with, and I know he'll do everything he can to make sure you're happy. It's clear to me, and I think everyone else here—" He extended his arm out to the crowd, "—that you're the center of his life and always will be from here on."
Joey took a moment to let the words sink in before looking back at Tristan, who stood up and wrapped his arms around him, embracing him into the tightest hug he'd ever received from the man. He could barely hold onto the microphone, his arm nearly going numb from the pressure and Joey wasn't sure where he had gotten the strength from.
Tristan dropped his head on his shoulder, and Joey could see that his wife was watching the scene unfold with amusement. Joey wasn't even finished with his speech, but Tristan's iron hold made it more difficult.
Joey attempted to bend his free arm and place it over his back in comfort, letting Tristan get his emotions out and ensure if he was even comfortable enough with him continuing. "Thank you, Tristan, for everything you've done for me. It's an honor to be here as your best man, and I couldn't be happier that you've found someone to be with for the rest of your life." Joey could feel the grip around him slacken, but Tristan wasn't ready to let go just yet. "And I'm sorry for bringing up the past, I didn't mean to upset—"
Tristan released him and bumped the back of his fist against Joey's chest gently, gaining his attention and interrupting his apology. Joey could see the rim of his eyes red from earlier, and the sneaking renewal of unshed tears. "You have got to be the dumbest person I've ever met, man."
Joey stood and stared at him, blinking once before he even registered what he said. Tristan was grinning with watery eyes like a fool, waiting for Joey's usual reaction to his comments. And as usual, Joey was quick to turn on a dime, his sentimental attitude replaced by the expected, short-tempered side of him.
"Is that any way to treat me after I just spilled my feelings?" Joey crossed his arms and looked away. "You're attackin' a vulnerable person right now. I even said I was sorry!"
"There's nothing to be sorry for." Tristan threw his arm around him, getting close and forcing him to turn and look at him. "Honestly, all you could have said was that you were jealous."
Joey paused, expression deadpan. "Jealous."
"Yeah," Tristan missed the look both Téa and his wife tossed his way, which should have been enough for him to understand, but the man was too preoccupied to notice, "You should have said something sooner. I never wanted you to feel like you were being left out, you know I'll always have time for you."
Then Joey realized that his speech hadn't come out the way he intended it to; that it sounded more like he was giving up his right to Tristan's time and stepping out, rather than giving them his blessing.
"I see." He leaned forward to glance at his wife. "I take it all back. This guy's too stupid to get a clue." Joey then dropped his hand on the table, inching towards the dessert tray next to him. "I'll just save you the trouble."
"Joey, no."
Yugi's warning had fallen on deaf ears, as he didn't care enough to follow his voice of reason for the sake of getting even. Joey grabbed the nearest vanilla cupcake and crushed it against Tristan's face, the frosting spreading across his nose and sticking the leftover cake pieces to his chin.
Some of the guests gasped, all still watching the confrontation from their seats in mild disbelief.
"Joey!" Tristan sprayed the cake from his mouth and a glop of icing fell to the floor by his pristine shoes, making the scene all the more satisfying.
"I just started the cake smashing tradition early! Thought you might need some help getting the party going." Despite sulking over the misunderstanding, he found that he couldn't truly stay angry at Tristan. His friend's emotional intelligence was sub-par at best and he cries at the drop of a hat, but Joey was speaking from the heart when he admitted that he wouldn't be there today if not for him.
So, when Tristan reached for his neck and lifted the entire cupcake stand, Joey couldn't help but laugh as their friends scattered from the table and Joey landed on the floor with chocolate frosting shoved up his nose and cupcakes staining the front of his suit that he bought with his dueling money.
Tristan was starting a new chapter in his life—all of them were—and while Joey missed the times they spent together in school, it seemed that some things weren't meant to change.