dragonlady222 – Haha! Even I'm not too sure who he's in love with yet, but don't worry too much about it, I'm planning a bit of a twist at some point! Glad you liked it and thanks for the review!

fallen-angel-of-repression – Yep, you're right, reviews do have that effect! Hahaa! What's up with Serenity…well part of the answer is in this chapter and although it seems pretty much all of the answer, there's more to it than just what is said here. Can't say I agree with Yami and Bakura being hotter than Seto, although they definitely are in the top three:P

Pharaohess1 – All holy and stuff…hehe that is too true. Thought it would be fun to make him out to be some kind of villain for a change, but as I said above, I'm planning a twist somewhere so he might not be all that bad really! Thanks for the review!

Dark Magician Of Chaos – Thanks for pointing that out to me, didn't notice before but I've enabled it now!

Also thanks to – smoondigiboy and FireieGurl.

A long chapter today, had plenty of time to write it and I enjoyed writing this one. Doesn't really get anywhere till the end but it's still fun.

Also no offence to British people, I'm British myself but couldn't help but take the piss out of our annoying habits and conservativeness! Hehe!

Another week, another Thursday spent arguing with Kaiba at some club. It had become a bit of a routine for Joey; he figured it was his path to proving that his theory was right and thus sparing his best friend the pain of splitting with Yami. However Joey couldn't be himself around Kaiba, he would always get drunk, drabble complete nonsense and eventually drive Kaiba away to drink an awful lot of that green stuff that he had yet to ask what it was.

But this Thursday would be different. He was spending the day at the Game Shop with Yugi and Ryou before meeting with Tristan later in the day, just like they used to in high school. But Kaiba had made at least one valid point on their meetings…he wasn't in high school anymore and he had trouble remembering that.

"So…anyone planning to pull later?" Joey said, trying to start a light-hearted conversation among his friends.

"Well I always try, Joe…but with you around they all think I'm bent and won't go near me, even if they think it's hot." Ryou complained. It was true though, whenever they went out, Joey would grab Ryou and dance with him in a fashion a bit more than friendly, claiming that the girls loved it. In some respect Joey was right, they did find it hot, but also when under the impression that Ryou is gay, they knew to steer clear, much to his dismay.

"I can't help it, Ry. I'm sorry buddy; I'll find you a nice lay-deeee tonight!" Joey giggled, not noticing how silent Yugi had gone, sitting at the till.

"Mate, you thought Mai was a 'nice lay-deeee'!" Ryou protested.

"You don't think she is?"

"Joey, you're gay. Stick to what you know." He pointed out, stating the obvious. It was then that Joey turned around and noticed Yugi not contributing.

"How about you, buddy?" He inquired. He already knew what Yugi would say, and how it would disgust him, but he had to get used to the idea of singledom sooner or later and Joey thought he could help.

"I don't think so, Joey. I'm not ready yet, it's been too soon. I still think he's coming back, y'know." He answered, looking ashamed of himself as he sent an embarrassed glare to the shop floor.

Joey didn't want to hear that, but he couldn't blow up like he did a few years ago anymore. A lot had changed and he knew it, he was glad that Yugi was free of Yami once and for all, but it didn't change anything in terms of wanting to find out what was going on. It was then that he noticed, for the first time in weeks, the golden pyramid hanging from a chain on Yugi. And it made him angry.

"Yug'…why you still got that thing on?" He asked, trying his hardest not to sound any angrier than he was letting on.

"I…I don't know. I want him to still be able to talk to me if he needs to, I can't just drop him Joey. I love him more than anything." Joey could see the tears brimming on the edges of his friend's eyes and decided not to pursue anymore. He noticed Ryou was getting nervous with the conversation and decided that it was enough for now.

"It's alright Yug'. I'm sorry, buddy. Right, well I have to be off now, pick Danny up from his 'best friend', I'll catch you all later, 'kay?" He laughed and waved as he left the Game Shop, not noticing Ryou to be the one who offered Yugi a hug, not noticing that his best friend hadn't just been brimming up, he had been crying silently to himself.

Joey didn't know it yet, but he wasn't there for his best friend. He wasn't playing his role right and he was driving him away and into the arms of other people. He had become obsessed with Yugi's situation and thought it was normal, failing to notice any changes being made, like Yugi not telling him anything before. If he had been there for him, he would know why Yugi refused to take the Millennium Puzzle off, he would know why Yugi longed to hear Yami's voice in his mind just one more time and he would know that Yami had blocked all contact with Yugi by shutting off the mind link and cancelling every other known form of contact. All his friend could do was to sit and wait for the mind link to open and then maybe, they might be able to talk. But Joey didn't know any of this, for in his desperation to find the truth, he had neglected the one person he thought that he was doing it all for. He had just barged in to others problems and didn't think to consider his friends feelings, or how he was being hurt just by Joey dismissing Yami every time he was mentioned, or even how he refused point blank to talk about the relationship Yugi had with Yami, how in love they were in the beginning, not considering Yugi's side of the story to find out what went wrong.

Joey was oblivious to everything going on around him, unaware that everyone knew what was going on but him. But there was one more person he never considered in his weeks of plotting and scheming. Danny. Danny, the child that he had been entrusted to care for and bring up as his own not a week before he came home. He had overlooked Danny and what he wanted from his Uncle Joey, and why Uncle Joey wasn't reading him stories anymore, why Uncle Joey hardly played with him, or tucked him in bed anymore. He also wondered why he saw a lot more of Mai, Uncle Joey's friend, than his uncle himself. It was a lot to go through an eight year olds mind, but it was the cause of what good ol' Uncle Joey had turned him into.

But nevertheless, here Danny was, packing yet another overnight bag with Joey to stay over at Mai's. It would seem that Joey hadn't told anyone about why he was now looking after Danny, for when Mai asked the boy himself; he could only say one thing;

"Mummy died. Uncle Joey had to look after me when she was ill and now she's in heaven."

He had noticed the sad look Mai had given him which was soon replaced with shock, and he was embraced, held so tightly like he remembered his own mother doing. That was when he decided that Mai was a good person and that he really didn't mind staying with her, but he did miss Uncle Joey. He missed him an awful lot, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

"Y'know I love you, scout? I hate leaving you like this, but it'll all be over soon, I've just got a lot to sort out. I'll pick you up tomorrow." Joey said as he hugged the small boy on the Thursday afternoon. All Danny could do was nod and hug him in return. As Joey placed a small kiss on his forehead, he turned to leave, walking to the front door where he knew Mai was waiting in the driveway.

"Danny?" He heard his uncle call at him as he swiftly turned around; hoping to be told that Joey would cancel his plans and spend some needed time with him, but instead;

"I love you."

"Love you too, Uncle Joey." He said sadly as he walked away to yet another night away from home. The poor boy was beginning to wonder where he really belonged, but through Joey being blissfully unaware of everything going on around him, he didn't have a clue, couldn't see further than his nose when it came to hurting people.

As the door closed, Joey felt immensely guilty. Before they had left America, when Danny had been placed in his care, Joey had made a promise to Danny that everything would be fine, they would move back to his home, meet all of his old friends and he could have anything he wanted. But that wasn't the case, what Joey hadn't counted on was becoming as involved in Yugi's problems as he was when he left. He was well aware that it very nearly destroyed him when he left, trying to help someone who thought they didn't need it nor want it. But shoving that aside, he was determined tonight not to fail anything that he set out to do, and if that meant staying sober for a considerable amount of time then so be it.

So, again, he stuck in the Blink 182 CD and began getting ready. Tonight he was having trouble deciding what to wear, it wasn't everyday that something you had been planning for near on three years was about to be executed.

"C'mon lemme hold yooou…touch yoooou….feeeel yoooou…..ALWAYS!" He sang at the top of his voice, over the ridiculously loud music, finally spotting the bottle green shirt he had been looking for, right next to the really tight trousers he wanted to wear with the shirt.

'I should really tidy this place up.' He thought as he clambered over the mess to pick them up, but before long the thought was banished as he was once again wiggling to the music while trying desperately to pull up his favourite trousers for clubbing.

As Joey entered the club with Ryou, they started looking for Yugi and Tristan. Tonight the atmosphere was good; the music was loud but had a really good beat to it, enabling Joey to start dancing right away. The lighting was set just right and the dance floor wasn't unbelievably crowded like usual. No, this was a good night, Joey thought. They soon found Yugi sitting by himself at a table, stirring some sort of cocktail, so as Joey went to go sit with him, Ryou went to the bar to get drinks.

"Hey buddy, where's Tris?" Joey half-asked, half-yelled over the loud music. Yugi looked up at his companion, clearly grateful for the company that had just joined him.

"Ahh I dunno, he went off somewhere so he's either hitting on some really hot guy or he's with Duke, but I haven't seen Duke around so I dunno." He looked up at Joey, smirking at the shocked look on his face, that Yugi would imply such a thing. Joey couldn't even register it, when he had seen Tristan and Duke they had been so loved up, so…so not like how Yugi was portraying Tristan!

"You sure, Yug'? 'Cause I saw Tris the other day with Duke and they were all over each other man!" Joey said, hoping beyond hope that his friend hadn't turned out the same as Yami.

"I'm positive. Duke and Tristan…they have a…erm…very trusting and very open relationship…very relaxed." Yugi smirked even more now, desperate not to burst into a fit of giggles at the look on Joey's face.

But he needn't have suffered any longer as Ryou soon arrived back with more drinks, grinning at Joey as he did. Joey and Yugi both wondered what was up, maybe he had finally sound someone willing to believe he wasn't gay, or maybe he'd found blackmail lying around somewhere, they had no way of knowing so someone had to do the deed of asking.

"Watcha grinning about, Ry?" Joey asked bravely, scared of the answer.

"Your mystery man is at the bar, quite a hottie too by the looks of things." Ryou smirked, he knew that comment didn't help the image he was trying to build, but it was worth it for the look on Joey's face.

"Mystery man?" He gulped, hoping that they hadn't meant Kaiba.

"Yeah, y'know…the guy that cut in a few weeks ago, and the same guy you've been dancing with way too closely for the past few weeks now…c'mon, spill!" Ryou laughed, and soon Yugi joined in when he realised what was going on.

"Ah him. He ain't no mystery man guys; he's just a real hot guy…like you said Ryou. He's a complete dick otherwise, just a pretty thing to look at." Joey smirked, again, hoping that he had gained one up on them.

"Poor Kaiba…he's gonna be so hurt to hear you call him a pretty plaything!" Ryou said, desperately trying to keep the laughter in, but he eventually gave in when he saw Yugi gasp in fake horror before rolling around in the booth laughing really hard.

"How'd you guys know? Besides, it's him that's doing all the close dancing…not me!" Joey humphed, clearly annoyed that he had been caught out, and he had hoped he was doing it all incognito as well.

When Yugi and Ryou had finally calmed down, Ryou proceeded to explain to him how Kaiba was just oozing "cool" and wore way too expensive clothes and had way too similar hair to be anyone else.

"Sooo…you kissed him yet?" Yugi inquired, leaning his head on one hand while his eyes bore into Joey's.

"Jeez Yug', stop with the eye thing…no I haven't kissed him yet and I have no plans too." Joey fumed. It was one thing to accuse him of dancing 'too closely' to the man, but to kiss him…yeah the thought wasn't too bad, but it was the principle behind the thought that was what made it so ludicrous.

"But you like him, yeah?" He inquired further. Joey wasn't one to hide away from anything and he was the first to admit that Kaiba was unbelievably hot and that his nice side was quite endearing, but to actually question whether he liked him beyond that was another thing altogether. For once he didn't know how to answer, forgetting his reasons for even associating with the man in the first place momentarily, he honestly didn't know. If he answered with 'I don't know' it would seem more believable than an outright 'no!' or 'I'm not going to dignify that with an answer' type response. So he knew what to answer, just answer honestly and hope it shuts them up.

"I don't know." He said simply as Yugi looked at him in surprise and Ryou just smirked. It had to be British, Joey decided. No one but Kaiba could smirk at anything and make it acceptable and the only other people Joey had seen do it were British. Stupid British and their stupid sarcasm, Joey thought, he couldn't deal with it tonight, no, right now he wanted to get smashed and go dancing but sense was telling him otherwise.

After a while of silence while they all sat with their thoughts, sipping at their drinks while staring at anything but each other, Joey broke it.

"I might go, err, go talk to Kaiba for a bit." He said hesitantly as he swiftly made his way out of the booth. As he went he could swear he could hear Ryou and Yugi laughing manically while screaming 'He sooo likes him!'. Joey was not amused but decided to deal with it later, for now he had Kaiba to catch up with and sure enough, there he was, cool as ice stood leaning against the bar, shades on, sipping the green drink and staring directly at Joey who had momentarily paused in the middle of hordes of people dancing. He would have soon been crushed if sense didn't tell him to move forward, but it did and he soon found himself at the bar, mirroring Kaiba's pose as he struck up a casual conversation.

"So...what's that green stuff you're always drinking anyway?" He said, not turning to Kaiba but instead concentrating on the people moving in front of them. But Kaiba turned to look at him, unsure whether he should laugh or cry, he couldn't believe it. Joey didn't know what the 'green stuff' was, the first guy he thought would know what absinthe was, was Joey. But clearly not.

"Never had absinthe?" He asked calmly as he beckoned for the bartender to bring another one.

"Nope, any good? Heard you're supposed to hallucinate." Joey said honestly. At this Kaiba nearly spit his drink everywhere, but refrained, instead painfully swallowing down what was in his mouth while trying to stifle a bout of laughter that was threatening to escape.

"Watching too many musicals, Joey?" He coughed as he tried not to laugh. Joey turned to see what was going on and saw that Kaiba had gone red in either choking or embarrassment, Joey decided it was the first and proceeded to hit Kaiba's back.

"What are you doing?" Kaiba asked, turning to look Joey in the eye, as well as he could do with the immensely dark shades in the way.

"You're choking or coughing or something, it's supposed to help." He said calmly as he continued hitting his back. Kaiba was pleasantly surprised to find that it did help and he thanked Joey when he had gotten over the shock of choking on his drink. He handed the extra glass of absinthe over to Joey who looked at it curiously before looking up at Kaiba and asking him, seriously;

"You're sure I won't see really hot fairies in front of me if I drink this?"

This time Kaiba really did laugh, and it was a sight to see. Joey hadn't seen it too many times, nearly every other time was when he was laughing manically as he believed he would secure a win at a duel. Eventually he calmed down though and regained his composure.

"No, Joey. Otherwise you must be the 'really hot fairy' I'd be seeing and that's a weird hallucination to have." Kaiba said calmly as he smirked a little in Joey's direction. But unbeknown to him he had just fed Joey the perfect ammo. Joey Super-Flirt was now in operation.

"Oh you think I'm 'really hot' do you?" He said, looking down at his drink as he swirled it curiously. But surprisingly, Kaiba didn't flare up, he didn't explode on Joey for making such ridiculous comments. No. Instead he chuckled slightly before taking off his shades and turning to look at Joey. He looked him up and down a few times before smirking and putting the shades back on. As he turned back to watch the crowd dancing he said simply;

"Yes, I do."

All Joey could do was smile contentedly, as he forgot completely the reason he was mad at Kaiba. He stood there for a while nodding his head to the beat until it changed into a song he knew oh so well and absolutely loved. Trouble was he wanted to dance and wanted Kaiba to dance with him, so instead of asking he grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him into the throng of people and started moving to the music in front of a very astonished Kaiba. He was sure that many people had often wanted to try that little trick that Joey had just pulled, but none were so brave. But soon enough he relaxed into the music and began to dance in sync with Joey. They stayed that way until the end of the song when Joey put his arms around Kaiba's neck and leaned up, moved past his face and rested his head on his shoulder. Kaiba didn't have a clue what was going on but soon he heard a small chuckle in his ear which he recognised as Joey.

"Not so bad yourself." He said quietly so only Kaiba could hear him before pulling back, smirking and winking at him and going back to join Yugi and Ryou. Unbeknownst to him, they had watched him dancing from start to finish and had lots of questions for him, but he was feeling too happy, he knew he had stumped Kaiba and he had left him hanging. It was an exhilarating feeling that Joey hoped to experience again someday soon. Hopefully sooner rather than later.