This is one of the longer chapters, and 1 of my personal favs (I'm so conceited....I know ^_^) But, Chapter 5 is here for ya now! As always, please, keep posting your input. It's really appreciated. ^.^

Chap. 5

Breathing heavily, she knocked on the door. She was never this nervous. About now, she needed someone to hold her hand and walk her through this.

"Tea? Tristan? Joey? Do my eyes deceive me?" Grandpa couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, gramps. Is Yugi here?" Joey looked surprisingly mellow, which was a word less used to describe the eccentric Joey Wheeler. Always armed with a wise crack, always bickering with Tristan. All in all, always there when he was needed. But ever since the incident with Yugi, he hadn't been the same. He smiled less and less and he became disgustingly normal, which worried Tristan, Tea, and everyone else around him. In his mind, he knew what was wrong, but his heart wouldn't allow the thoughts to pass. He knew he needed Yugi , but his heart disrupted these thoughts.

"Yes, he's upstairs," Grandpa became serious. "If I may ask, what are you three doing here?"

"We have to talk to him." Tea looked at Grandpa with pleading eyes. A small, crystalline tear slid down her cheek. Grandpa nodded with some compassion handed her a tissue.

"All right, but one at a time, please. Yugi seems to have grown immune to too much happiness."

All three nodded and they deliberated. Who would be the first to see Yugi? Tristan declined quickly, in fear that he would do something he would regret. Tea declined as well, knowing she would cry. So, Joey was the one elected to venture into Yugi's room after the 6 month absence.

"I guess I'll go, gramps." Joey stepped forward, pushing his hay like hair out of his face. His eyes glimmered with a small trace of fear, but the question was, fear of what?

Joey slowly made his way to Yugi's room. Like marching on Death Row, his expression was blank. He finally arrived at Yugi's door and he lifted his hand to knock, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. So many words were unsaid. He couldn't face his best friend. He place his hand on the door and tried to knock again, but it seemed that fear wouldn't permit him to knock.

"Dammit, Joey. Come on. You're cool, just knock." And he did. He finally knocked. He stood there, dumbfounded, and waited.

"Come in." The voice was weak and full of sadness. Joey slowly turned the doorknob and walked into the abandoned room with nothing more then the bed and some newly placed black curtains.

"Step forward and tell me who you are." That voice again, more forward this time.

"Yug, it's Joey." And he stepped forward a little too far and Yugi whipped around and glared at him.

"Not another step..." But when his eyes met Joey's, everything inside broke down. Tears formed in his eyes, so he quickly turned around again, facing the window, where he had spent most of his days.

"How ya been, Yug?"

"Fine." This time, the voice was scratchy and undetectable. Joey moved a little closer.

"Tristan and Tea are here, too."

"Great. What do you want, Joey?"

"I want to talk."
"YOU DIDN'T WANT TO TALK 6 MONTHS AGO, DID YOU???" Yugi looked up at him, sobbing.

"Yug, I'm sorry I didn't stop by sooner. I was just...."

"Scared?" Yugi got up and made his way over to Joey.

"Yeah..."

When Yugi was face to face with Joey, he wrapped his arms around him.

"Joey, I was so scared without you. No one believed me when I told them I didn't kill Bakura. But, I knew you believed me. No one could look at me straight anymore. Joey, I needed you 6 months ago and I still need you now. You're still my best friend." And this hug seemed to last for eternity. Joey fought back tears, but one slowly slid down his face.

"Yug, I'm sorry." And Joey returned the hug. 6 months of hanging out, talking, dueling, and having fun were all hidden in that hug.

And for the first time in months, Yugi smiled. Joey wiped his eyes and looked at Yugi.

"Missed ya, buddy."

"I missed you too, Joey."

Back downstairs, Tristan still couldn't spit out the words to tell Tea how he felt about her. Every times words surfaced, they would be overthrown by fears of rejections.

"That's it...Tea, I have to come straight out and tell you this. I love you, I really do. You've always been the light in my life, and I want to know if I can have the honor of being your boyfriend." He was staring at nothing but an empty reflection, in the bathroom. Splashing cold water on his face, he, again, looked into his own eyes.

"Tristan? Are you okay?" Tea slowly opened the door.

"Yea, um...I'm fine, Tea."

"I heard you talking to yourself, and I just thought I'd see if you were alright." She smiled pleasantly as Tristan blushed a bit.

"Tea?"
"Hmm?"

"I need to tell you something important."

"Sure, Tristan. What?"

He started to stutter and stammer, forgetting what he wanted to say. "Tea, I...um, we've known each other for a long time, right? And, well, what I'm trying to say is...Damn it!" He took a deep breathe as Tea looked on cluelessly.

"Calm down, and say it." She put her hand on his shoulder. Her touch made Tristan's blood run cold. Her skin, so smooth.

"Tea, I love you..." There! I said it! Tristan took a deep breath and signed in relief. Tea, on the other hand, was quite speechless.

Still a bit confused, Tea looked over to him, stepped forward to him, and kissed his cheek gently with a growing smile upon her love stricken face. Not needing words, she nodded.

With a bit of shock in his eyes, Tristan hesitated, but grabbed Tea's hand. "You...really...mean it?"

Again, she nodded.

He now embraced her, holding her tightly. In the back of his mind, this was perfection, but, now lingering thoughts told him otherwise...