Notes: For the Flufftober prompt - movie marathon

Girl's Night

Mai opened the door to her hotel room, grinning at the two girls standing there as she ushered them inside.

Tea's parents had agreed fairly easily to her spending the night at Mai's hotel room and, after Joey vouched for Mai, Serenity's mother had allowed her to join them too. Just the three girls, some pizza, popcorn, and romcoms rented from the Blockbuster down the street. Mai hadn't had a proper girl's night since she started on the dueling circuit and she was looking forward hanging out with her friends.

"Alright, so there's a queen bed in the back and the couch in here pulls out into another bed. For now you two can put your overnight bags back there and we can decide on sleeping arrangements later. First, Blockbuster so we can all pick a movie." Mai bounced with excitement, not bothering to hide from the younger girls how excited she was to have them there.

"I've heard good things about A Walk to Remember," Serenity said, sounding excited.

"Oh, me too. I missed it in theaters while we were in Duelist Kingdom," Tea replied. "I hope they've got Kate and Leopold. I've been wanting to rewatch that one lately."

"Both sound like good choices," Mai agreed, grabbing her purse.

They walked to the Blockbuster, chatting about their favorite movies, and picked up the two movies Serenity and Tea had mentioned, along with 10 Things I Hate About You, which was Mai's pick. They ordered pizza once they were back in the hotel room and put on Mai's choice first, after changing into their pajamas.

The pizza is delicious, the movie is entertaining, and the company is better. They give each other facials and do their nails and just... pamper one another.

It's so relaxing.

As they were debating which of the two remaining movies to put on next, however, Serenity's cell phone began to ring.

"Oh, hey Joey," Serenity greeted. "Oh no," she gasped after a moment. "What are you going to do?"

"Something wrong?" Mai asked curiously when Serenity was silent, listening, for a while.

Serenity nodded, bringing the phone away from her mouth. "Dad drinks a lot. He got into a fight with Joey and kicked him out for the night. Usually Joey just goes over to Tristan's or Yugi's but Yugi and his Grandpa went out of town to celebrate placing first in Battle City and Tristan's family is out of town to visit his Aunt. Just had a new cousin. And... I don't think Joey likes Duke enough to ask him. Things are awkward with mom, too. He forgot I was staying with you tonight, so he was going to ask me to talk to mom for him."

Mai hated the idea of Joey being out there so late, calling from a pay phone. "Well, if Joey were to share the couch with you tonight, Serenity, I wouldn't mind him joining us here. What do you think, Tea? We could find him somewhere else safe to go, too..."

"I'm fine with it. He just can't call us aliens or whatever for the face masks," Tea said.

"That's a great idea," Serenity added in agreement.

"Here, can I talk to him?" Mai took the phone as Serenity handed it over. "Hi Joey."

"Hey, Mai," Joey greeted. He sounded tired and a little... sad. Well, he'd been tossed out of his home late at night. Of course he was bummed out over it.

"Why don't you join us for girl's night? We'll make a special exception, just for you," Mai teased.

"I, uh... I don't want to put you guys out," he said, half hopeful.

"Eh, we need someone to finish off the last of the pizza. Come on. Join us. I promise not to tease you too badly if you cry during our rom-coms." Mai waited.

Joey huffed an amused breath. "I don't cry while watching movies," he grumbled. "Especially not girly movies."

Mai laughed and gave him directions to the hotel and her room number.

Joey does cry during A Walk to Remember. Like a baby.

Mai had to hand him the kleenex box while he sat there sniffling. Too be fair, it was a tragic end for a romance movie. The girl dying of cancer... but she got to have her romantic dream first, which was sweet. Not really a rom-com, then, and not really Mai's usual style. But she'd enjoyed it despite herself.

Though it might have been because of how amusing Joey's reactions to the movie were. He got a little overly invested, gasping at dramatic moments and making a sobbing noise when the girl admitted to her illness.

Though Mai suspected it was his feelings about Serenity's recent hospital visit and surgery that made a girl sick with cancer hit so hard. But unlike the girl in the movie, Serenity had a full life ahead of her. (Of course, it could also have been Mai's own brief brush with a shadow magic induced coma. But she wasn't touching the whole shadow magic thing with a ten foot pole. She was fine now and done with the freaky magic stuff.)

"You okay?" Mai asked softly.

The boy nodded. "I'm fine," Joey sniffled.

"We'll be having donuts in the morning," she told him. "There's a little place across the street that has tempted me every day I've been here."

Like Mai had hoped, a small smile found it's way onto Joey's face while he wiped away the last of his tears. "Thanks for letting me stay tonight, Mai."

"Yeah, well, you're a good guy, Joey. And it was worth seeing you cave to Serenity over having your nails done." Mai grinned. "The polish does look good on you."

Joey hummed thoughtfully, inspecting his nails. "The black is a manly color right?"

"Well, it's a color, anyway."

"If she gets good enough to do nail art, I'm totally requesting a Red Eyes Black Dragon," Joey decided. "And maybe this'll remind me not to bite my nails when I'm nervous. Would it be weird for a guy to wear, like... clear nail polish sometimes?"

"No, Joey. It wouldn't," Mai assured him. Standing up and stretching, she motioned for Tea to head into the back area where the bed was. "Serenity, Joey, you two going to be alright on the couch?"

The siblings nodded, looking excited to be able to sleep over together. Considering they hadn't even lived in the same house for years, Mai was glad to have been able to give them this.

"Let me know if either of you need anything. Otherwise, I'll see you two in the morning." Mai headed back after Tea, who'd already snuggled under the covers on the far side of the bed.

"Thanks for letting Joey join us, Mai," Tea said quietly as Mai slid under the covers too. "I worry about him, with his dad. Mr. Wheeler's been getting worse the older Joey gets and... he can't afford his own place yet."

"And his mother won't let Joey stay with her?" Mai asked, voice just as soft.

Tea shook her head. "Maybe since Yugi gave Joey the money for Serenity's operation, she'll rethink things. She's been better about letting Joey and Serenity spend time together, anyway. But... we all worry about him. Grandpa Mutou keeps offering Joey the guest room on a more permanent basis. Joey's been too proud to take him up on it."

"If there's anything that boy has in spades, it's pride," Mai agreed. "Admittedly, I know a thing or too about being too proud myself."

Tea snorted in amused agreement.

"I'm glad I could help even if it was just for tonight." Mai just wished she could do more. But Joey had taken a cash prize for placing in Battle City. Just like Mai had, though Joey's had been a bit more substantial for placing higher. Nothing like what Yugi'd won, but it'd make a nice little nest egg for the kid. Enough prizes like that and Joey'd be set to start running the dueling circuit like Mai... or help pay for college or a vocational school. Certainly an apartment he could live in without his father would be doable.

And he still had time to learn that accepting help didn't make him weak. Mai forgot that lesson sometimes but these kids had reminded her.

She'd have to make sure to keep in touch when she left.

Notes: Admittedly, some parts of this were a bit melancholy to write, since I remember that things don't go well for Mai during the Orichalcos arc. But here in fanfic land she's realizing she wants to stay in touch with these guys and will perhaps do a better job about it herself. She deserves a better outcome.