"I'ts its you!" Joey repeated, pointing at me as if I were some kind of ghost. His face paled and he began asking all sorts of questions in a hurried voice. "What are yah doin? Who are yah really? "I'm dreamin again? Does that mean I gotta compete in the tournament all over again? Are you some kind of ghost or sometin?"
"Take it easy Joey, I'm not going to hurt you." I told him. "I'm your friend Joey; I'd never do anything to hurt you." I hoped he believed me. Hoped later on he would realize that I wanted just the opposite, to make him happy.
He moved closer and closer to me until we were only inches apart. Joey stared at me with a shocked look on his face. My heart leapt to my throat. Joey was so close to me, and he wasn't half asleep or thinking it was a dream. So close that I could feel his breath against my face and my lips were trembling. I think his were too. Joey blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. I could feel the adrenaline pumping throughout my body as I worried about how he would react. "So am I dreamin again? Why are yah on the boat?" Joey asked me.
I sweat dropped. "Didn't you read the note I left for you in your back pocket?" I said.
Joey blinked in surprise and began fishing around in his pockets. While he was doing that, I hid the Millennium Key underneath my tank top. I would decide maybe later too tell him, right now, there was too much to tell anyway let alone that.. He took out the note and read it out loud. "I'm not a dream; I'll be on the boat. Well, guess that explains a lot!" He grinned and put his hand behind his head in embarrassment.
I sweat dropped again. I still had to get used to doing that. Loud curses came from the side of the boat. Bandit Keith must have finally come to his senses. Joey and I grinned as we saw Bandit Keith clinging for his life to the rope. "Come on you stupid losers help me back up!" He shouted.
"Hahaha not a chance Keith, think I'll let yah stay there for a while!" Joey shouted, sticking out his tongue and jeering at him. Bandit Keith growled and smacked the water in anger. It would be a long ride back for him. Hehehe.
"Teach him some manners, jerk." I muttered and began walking away.
"Hey, hold on a minute." Joey exclaimed and ran in front of me. "Where do yah think your goin?" He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the side of the wall. "Aren't yah gonna explain sometin ta me? Like the whole dream thing?"
I blushed and totally could not think of what to tell him. "I…uh…" I started to say.
"There you are Joey, we were looking for you." Yugi said running up to us. I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that there was a diversion.
Wow, he is really short. I thought to myself. And his hair is so wild and crazy, coolness!
"Hey Yugi, just teachin Bandit Keith how ta not be a jerk." Joey answered.
"Pretty hard work." I commented.
"Oh, hi there, who are you? Are you a friend of Joey's?" Yugi asked me.
"Yeah Yug, just met her the other night." Joey answered. I was surprised that he didn't tell Yugi about the supposed dream or anything else. Yugi just smiled and nodded.
I smiled back. What a cute cherub like face. I thought. "My name is Jade, nice to meet you Yugi." I said, shaking his hand. "Congrats on beating Pegasus."
"Thank you, were you in the tournament? I don't think I saw you." Yugi asked me.
"Well, no, I didn't participate in the tournament, but I am into Duel Monsters." I told him.
"Really? What's your favorite card? Mine's the Dark Magician."
"I love the Gyakutenno Megami card. It's beautiful and pretty powerful too. I like equipping it with my favorite magic card the Sword of Deep-Seated. Those are my favorite cards." I said, taking out my own deck from my pocket and showing him the cards and the stats.
"A fairy card huh? Tea likes those too, that great." Yugi said, handing me back the cards.
"So that's your favorite card eh, I'll remember that." Bakura said, walking over with Tristan, and Tea, behind him. I wondered where Mai was, but Bakura's evil smirk broke my train of thought.
I resisted the urge to jump off the boat and swim far far away. "Uh, hey Bakura…" I said, my voice shaking. "How's it going?" I asked.
"Who are you and how do you know Bakura?" Tea asked me. "Just met him the other night, I was staying at the Castle too, not dueling though." I answered. Ok, this is getting really out of hand. I thought to myself. Gotta come up with a good story as to why I was there if I wasn't dueling.
"Well, why were you there if you weren't dueling?" Tristan asked. Great, leave it to Tristan to point out the obvious. I thought. Then it hit me.
"I heard that Yugi and Joey were finalists in the tournament and wanted to get autographs." I really wanted to meet the guys who defeated Rex Raptor, Weevil Underwood, Bandit Keith and Seto Kaiba." I blurted out. "I'm actually a big fan. Can I please have your autographs?" I asked smiling innocently.
Please buy it please buy it please buy it. I prayed silently. Bakura smirked and seemed to be laughing quietly to himself.
"Of course we'll give you an autograph right Joey?" Yugi smiled. I sighed inwardly with relief and began fishing around for a piece of paper.
"If that's all yah wanted, yah didn't have ta…" I quickly nudged Joey in the ribs with my elbow.
"Well, I know that I didn't have to come all the way to the island, but it was no trouble at all, I just hitched a ride on a passing boat and snuck ashore and avoided Pegasus goons." I finished. I looked at Joey with pleading eyes and he seemed to understand that now was not a good time to talk about the other night. Wow, so Joey isn't all that dense. I thought and smiled.
"Alriiiiight! One autograph comin up! When I'm a champion duelist, this'll be worth millions!" Joey shouted, scribbling down his name and handing it to Yugi. Everyone sweat dropped. Well, maybe he is after all. I thought.
Yugi signed and I asked Tea, Tristan and Bakura to sign too.
"Why do you want us to sign?" Tea asked.
"Yeah, it's not like were big time duelists, were more like the cheerleaders. Tristan pointed out.
I shrugged. "Never know what people will pay for on Ebay." I replied.
"Yeah, that's true." Tristan answered.
"We were just about to get some lunch, want to come with us." Yugi asked, as I carefully folded the signed paper and put it in my pocket.
"Sure." I answered, and smiled very widely. I was actually having lunch with the Yu-Gu-Oh characters! Yeah! We went inside and sat down at a rather large booth. I was disappointed when Yugi, Tristan and Joey sat together, leaving me, Tea and Bakura to the other side. I wanted to sit next to Joey… Didn't let it get to me though. At least I got the inside and Bakura got the outside. He still gave me the creeps.
"Good thing we all get to eat free on the boat." Yugi smiled.
"Yeah Yug, and I'm starvin!" Joey shouted. I realized that I was pretty hungry too, hadn't eaten in a couple of days. But I hadn't felt the need to eat in that ghostly shadow world I had been in while I was watching the duels.
After the waitress had taken our orders, we started talking.
"So where are you from Jade?" Tea asked me as our drinks came.
"I'm from Massachusetts in the United States." I answered casually taking a sip of my code red mountain dew. (love that drink)
"Wow, and you came all the way over here just to see the tournament?" Yugi asked me.
I almost choked on a bit of ice. That did seem pretty far fetched. "I actually came to live there, I heard it's beautiful and I really want a kimono." I replied. Hoping that they would buy it.
"Oh wow, I should show you a really cool kimono shop when we get back home!" Tea grinned. "I love shopping, finally someone who can go shopping with me who won't complain!" We gave each other high fives.
Tristan and Joey groaned and sank down in their seats.
I chuckled. "I'm guessing you guys have been package carriers whenever you go shopping?" They nodded. "Coolies! Then you guys can come and help us when Tea and I go shopping!"
"Aaaaaaah shopping spree duck and cover!" Tristan and Joey yelled, ducking under the table.
While Yugi sweat dropped, Tea and I began laughing and even Bakura was snickering. "So Jade, have you found a place to stay yet?" Yugi asked me as Joey and Tristan crawled out from underneath the table.
I stopped laughing. I hadn't thought about that yet and in fact didn't know where I'd stay. "Uh, not yet, I guess I'll have to rough it under a bridge or something till I can find a cheap apartment." I answered. That worried me; I didn't know what I would do.
Yugi smiled and closed his eyes. "There's an extra room above the game shop where my Grandpa and I live, you could stay there for a while. If you want, I could probably get Grandpa to give you a job helping out at the game shop."
"Really Yugi? That's so awesome! Thank you thank you thank you!" I cried kneeling down and bowing low to him. What the heck, I said to myself and threw my arms around his neck.
Yugi blushed and said it was no problem. Just like Yugi to be so nice like that. I thought to myself. Then our food came. I got to witness first hand the eating machines known as Joey and Tristan. I barely touched my own plate as I watched Joey and Tristan shovel several slices of Pizza into their mouths, like they were saiyans or something (disclaimer do not own Dragonball Z)
I munched on my tuna sub and listened in on the conversation. Apparently the Kaiba brothers were on the boat too and Yugi had his Grandpa's soul card and that he needed to bring it back to his Grandpa in order for his soul to be restored. Soon we were done eating and it was pretty late so everyone decided to go to bed.
I wasn't tired just yet so I went up to the bow and sat down. I felt the wind blowing through my hair and I began thinking about the night before. The kiss that Joey and I shared was still fresh in my mind. But did it mean anything to Joey? It meant so much to me. Now that he knows that it wasn't a dream, what does he think of me? I'll bet he thinks I'm a pervert or something. He's so wonderful; I don't know what to do. The sunset before me was so beautiful, but cold. I shivered and felt lonely. "I wish he were here to watch the sunset with me, wish I weren't so lonely, wish he was here." I whispered, shivering and rubbing my hands together to warm them up.
"Need a blanket?" I turned my head around and saw Joey wrap a long blue blanket around me, and then Joey sat down himself and wrapped the rest around himself.
I smiled. "Thanks Joey, was getting pretty cold out here."
"No prob." Joey smiled. "You gonna tell me what the heck is goin on now?" He asked.
I sighed and looked down at the foamy water in front of the bow. I really didn't know what to tell him. "I'm sorry I lied to you before, you weren't dreaming. I didn't want to distract you from your matches." I said. "But you looked so cute in bed and I overheard Tristan saying nothing could wake you up so I decided to see if it was true." I said, innocently twiddling my thumbs. "Actually, turns out you can sleep through a lot more than most people." I added.
"Sounds like sometin I'd do ta Yugi while he was sleepin." Joey laughed. "But that poem, did you really write it for me? Did yah really mean what yah said?"
I nodded. "Every word." I answered. He seemed to think about it, so I decided to ask him a few questions. "I've got a question for you Joey." I said.
"Huh?" Joey answered snapping out of his train of thought.
"When you woke up, why did you share a kiss with me?" I timidly asked.
"Not often I have a dream like that. I don't have a girlfriend, no one that cares about me in that way. Just wanted to see what it felt like." He answered. Then he blushed. "Ta tell yah the truth, I liked it a lot."
I smiled. "Me too." I answered. Joey wrapped his arm around me and held me closer. I was thrilled. "I'm glad you don't think I'm a pervert or something." I commented.
"Now why would I think that?" Joey smirked.
"Well, I did spend half the night tickling and massaging you." I said, also smirking. "By the way, do you always dream about food? You bit your pillow."
Joey chuckled and answered, "Almost every night, gotta love my pizza and giant donuts!" He exclaimed.
I got out my feather pen and began poking Joey with it. He started laughing and squirming spasmodically. "Poke, poke, poke." I kept saying.
"Awe come ohohohohohn nahaahahahahhahah thahahahahaht!" Joey gasped out, while laughing, and then he smirked evilly. He yanked the pen out of my hand and began poking me with it!"
"Eeeeeek Joey stahahahhahaahp!" I begged him trying desperately to get away but he held me down, then sat on me gently and pinned my arms above my head. "Hahahahahahahahaaaa gettoffa meeheheheheeheheheheh stahahahhahp!" I yelled as he tickled under my arms torturously.
"Not a chance, here's a little payback!" Joey smirked.
"Oh brother, why don't you two losers get a room or something? That's so sickening." A voice I knew all too well said. Seto Kaiba shook his head in disgust and kept on walking.
Joey and I looked from Kaiba, to each other and realized that the scene did not look too good and we quickly went back to the way we were sitting before.
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Remind me only to get you while your sleeping Joey, payback stinks." I laughed.
"Not if you're the one givin it." Joey smiled and answered. "It's fun!" I laughed and put the pen away.
"Aren't you tired Joey?" I asked him after a few minutes.
Joey yawned. "Yeah, I'm probably gonna go to bed. Aren't you?"
"Don't have a cabin, probably going to stay up a while longer." I answered.
Joey frowned. "There's no way I'm gonna let yah freeze out here, yah can sleep in my cabin." Joey told me.
"You sure?" I asked him.
Joey nodded. "I'm positive." He answered.
I stood up and smiled. He is such a great guy. I sighed to myself. "Ok, race yah there!" I exclaimed, throwing the blanket over him and racing around the deck.
"Hey no fair!" Joey laughed from underneath the blanket. He tucked it under his arm and began chasing me. I smiled at what a wonderful night it had turned out to be. And as I raced toward his cabin, I wondered what new adventures would await me. I felt the Millenium Key underneath my shirt and knew that whatever I would face, I would try my best.
I giggled and ducked behind a wall. I was trying to find his room but was having no luck since I didn't know the cabin number or anything. Note to self; ask room number before throwing blanket on his head and running off. I thought to myself.
"Gotcha!" Joey cried, surprising me from behind and wrapping me up in the blanket. "Rolled yah up just like a burrito!" Joey smirked as I struggled to break free.
"Awe come on Joey, your not gonna eat me are you?" I whined/teased, faking sniveling. He smiled, took me in his arms and began walking in the opposite direction. I was still wrapped up in the blanket while he walked, it was warm and comfortable. The sky was clear and many stars shined down on us. I rested my head on his shoulder as he opened the door to his cabin with one hand. I felt his warmth and was almost lulled to sleep by his heartbeat.
Joey closed the door behind him, kicked off his sneakers, and gently set me down on the large queen sized bed. Wow, what a nice queen sized bed. I thought to myself. Joey tried to get the blanket off of me but only succeeded in rolling me right out of it and straight onto the floor! I landed with a thud in a tangle of blanket.
"Uh, whoops!" Joey said, embarrassingly putting his hand behind his head. I was vaguely reminded of the orange happy juice commercial. "Sorry bout that." He said and began chuckling.
I got up from the floor and climbed back on the bed. I wasn't mad at him. Who could ever get mad at Joey? I thought to myself. Then I smirked and threw a pillow that hit him in the head.
"Hey, what was that for?" Joey asked, still grinning that beautiful grin of his. I loved that smile, it made me want to melt on the spot. Loved him, so much.
"For making me fall off the bed of course! What are you some kind of yutze?" I said teasingly.
"Oh that's it, your gonna get it now!" Joey cried smirking himself, and throwing the pillow back at me. "Call me a yutze will yah, cmere you!" Joey exclaimed, jumping onto the bed and getting me in a headlock. He then began hitting me over the head with the pillow.
I laughed, squirmed out of his grasp and grabbed another pillow, and being up for a good pillow fight, began pelting him right back! "Take that, and that and that!" I teased, hitting him over and over again.
"Bring it on! Is that the best you can do?" Joey playfully sneered and blocked the next blow I hit him with.
I raised an eyebrow. "Actually no" I answered and smacked him right in the stomach with a pillow.
"Gonna play it that way huh?" Joey smirked. He slung me over his shoulder and then tossed me onto the bed. As he began laughing at me, I mischievously, pulled him down by his green jacket. Joey tripped and landed right on top of me! Uh, didn't mean to do that. I thought to myself and blushed. I saw that Joey was blushing too as he got up on his hands and knees, but still over me. We gazed into each others eyes for a minute which seemed to go on forever until we both moved over. I kicked off my sandals, retrieved the forgotten blanket and spread it over us.
Joey grinned, "You're a really fun person yah know that." He told me.
"You are too." I answered. "Thanks again for letting me stay in here with you."
"It's no big deal, couldn't let yah freeze out there." Joey answered. "Actually, its getting kinda cold in here too. The heatin system musta conked out or sometin."
I hadn't noticed it before, because we were pillow fighting, but Joey was right, it was getting rather cold. I was shivering and found that Joey was too. I smiled kindly and put my arm around his shoulder and began massaging it tenderly. See, massaging and tickling were ways I show affection. Joey closed his eyes, smiled and moved closer. He sighed with pleasure and said, "Man that feels great, you're so good at that." I smiled as Joey put his arm around me. We were both keeping each other warm and it was so comfortable too. "Why do yah give those anyway?" He asked me, closing his eyes.
"Show of affection." I answered casually, not thinking about what I was saying.
Joey opened his eyes and stared at me. "So all that stuff yah did the other night was you showin how much yah care?" I gulped and nodded, not sure where he was going with the questions. Then, he did something that shocked and surprised me. Joey gave my cheek a gentle kiss. "Thanks." He said simply and smiled. I was too shocked to even move, I withdrew my hand and laid it against the spot where his lips had brushed my cheek. I was delighted beyond belief and he pulled me closer, until my head rested against his chest, his arm wrapped protectively around me, making me feel safe and warm. I began running my fingers through his hair tenderly, just enjoying the sweet moment that we were having together.
I remembered Joey and Serenity's parents had gotten a divorce and that Joey's mother and sister lived far far away. He hadn't seen them in a very long time. Maybe he craved the affection that I gave him that he lacked because of his mothers and sister being far away from him. Maybe all he needed was true love and kindness, coming from some one who was more than just a friend.
I remembered my own family, my sister, back in the real world. I wondered if they knew I was gone, if they were worried about me. Suddenly, I felt isolated and alone. I wondered if I would ever get back to my normal life. Then I looked down at Joey and smiled and wondered if I even wanted to.
"Jade…?" Joey said, breaking me out of my train of thought.
"Hmmm?" I said, looking over at him.
"Will yah promise me somethin?"
"Anything." I answered, and meant it too.
"Promise me I'll neva wake up from this dream." He asked me.
"I promise." I smiled and answered. "And if I could, I'd make you some of those giant cookies you like so much."
"Thad be really nice of yah." Joey yawned. I thought I detected a little bit of sadness coming from him, as if no one had offered to ever make cookies for him before. I didn't know his father, but doubted that he gave Joey the love and attention he needed. I decided to do whatever I could for Joey.
An intense wave of fatigue washed over my body that craved for sleep. I hadn't slept at all when I was in that gray ghostly dimension. I was too freaked out, but I was out of there now and felt content. I yawned and said goodnight to Joey. He was already fast asleep and snoring loudly. I chuckled and wiped a little stream of drool away from his face with the pillowcase. He pulled me closer as if I were some kind of giant teddy bear. I soon found sleep, nestled in Joey's arms.