HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Sorry for the delay! hides I wasn't able to update before Christmas for me underestimating how hectic the run-up is! However, I couldn't leave you all hanging for so long, especially with only three chapters left! So, without further ado…

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything mentioned in this story, apart from the story idea. All characters, brand-names and Yu-Gi-Oh! do not belong to me, nor do I claim to own them. Kept forgetting to put it in!

'Why?' Joey thought as he left the Game Shop to escape to his car. 'Why…where did that come from? It wasn't provoked…stupid, stupid, stupid idiot!' He continued, gaining anger at himself with every thought.

Since leaving the back room he had been questioning why he kissed Seto, what made him do it. Was it Seto's honesty? Was it the side of him Joey had never seen before that drew him to it? Either way, he understood that it was a mistake and it shouldn't have happened.

'Graduation and teasing in the club is one thing, Joey…' He carried on, not caring where his trail would lead him to. 'But kissing him in the next room while your best friend is hysterical…'

But that was where he cut it off. Yugi. He had left him when he was most vulnerable in the hands of Ryou and Seto, 'The man who had – no. Wait. He said it wasn't true.' Joey suddenly remembered as his slammed the brakes down, his mind now going into overdrive.

"Why have you always been Saint Joey?"

The words came back to him in a jolt. It was an interesting question, Joey couldn't deny and one to make him think. It was true that he was always there when Yugi needed him, he was always by his side. Throughout Duellist Kingdom he had been on the sidelines, cheering his friend on with all the friendship mumbo jumbo Téa had always ranted about. Téa. He had missed her over the years, a friend he held dear even if the incessant reminders about their close bonds drove him into a rage at times. Why didn't he hear from her anymore? She had moved away about the same time he had, the same time Yami cheated on Yugi. The same time Seto had felt the pain of someone leaving him. 'First time for everything.' Joey thought to himself as he snickered.

But Joey wasn't stupid. The amount of people who had claimed he was, was phenomenal but he could figure out that something was going on. There was more to Yugi's issues than he would have originally planned and he wanted to help. He genuinely wanted to help his friend even if he couldn't see that he was holding himself back in the process.

'Time to sort this once and for all.' Joey thought as he started driving again on his way to collect Danny from school, something that he had been looking forward to all day, but now couldn't wait to get it over and done with.

Pulling into the car park he made his way onto the playground to wait for him, feeling guilty at his urgent want to leave the school as fast as he could. But then he thought. 'Danny can't see Yugi like this! Shit! Crap, crap, crap…Kaiba likes kids…' He suddenly thought, forgetting the previous event momentarily as he tried to think of a way to help Yugi without ruining Danny's innocence and naivety to the "real world", dare he say it.

"Uncle Joey!" He was broken from his thoughts by a small boy running towards him and eventually colliding in a warm embrace. "This school is amazing, Uncle Joey! The other kids are so great!"

"Glad you like it, scout! Your Uncle Joey went here when he was your age!" Joey smiled, not at all fazed by speaking about himself in the third person.

"Really? That's so cool! Did Mummy?" He asked innocently, glancing up to the sky briefly before awaiting Joey's answer. Joey looked at him with sorrow before replacing it with a smile when he saw the young boy eager to learn more about his mother.

"No, no mate she didn't. Mummy didn't live around here, she moved away with Grandma when she was little, but she visited sometimes." He answered, picking Danny up and began walking to the car.

"Uncle Joey! Don't! The other kids will see me!" He squealed, hitting Joey's shoulder in an attempt to be let down. Rather shocked in Danny's sudden change in attitude, he let him go but soon loosened up remembering that he was the same way, smiling a little at the nostalgia flooding back to him just by being at his old school with his nephew.

The ride back to Yugi's was full of laughter with Danny's tales of his first day at Domino Junior School. It brought back a lot of memories for Joey, remembering when his life was so easy, he would hang out with Yugi, play Duel Monsters, fight with Seto and then go home thinking about the day he would finally get over the fact he might like him. It all seemed so simple, where did it all go? Where did the transformation from a kind, loving and overly friendly Pharaoh to a back-stabbing, cheating bastard come from? When did Yugi begin his slow, mental breakdown after spending so much of his life being a happy-go-lucky guy with a handful of friends he was now pushing away?

Walking into the Kame Game Shop, he could sense the tension as he found the shop area empty. Deciding that it must have skipped Yugi's mind he turned the latch in the door and turned the sign to say 'Closed'. He just prayed that Seto wasn't still here, because that was one hassle he didn't need.

"Ok, Danny? You can stay here and look at all the game stuff, I need to go and see Yugi." Joey said, leaving Danny by the masses of Duel Monsters cards while he hunted his friend. He walked through the building and eventually to the living area behind the shop, calling Yugi's name as he walked through. Eventually finding the sitting room, he noticed Yugi sat in the middle of the settee, his legs bent up to his chest held close by his arms. His chin was resting atop his knees and he was staring at nothing but air as silent tears rained down his face. Joey watched him with pity and wondered if he even knew he was crying, what kind of state his mind was in.

"Yug'? Where's Ryou and Kaiba?" Joey asked quietly, sitting next to him turning slightly to face him. There was momentary silence until Yugi sighed and in a monotone voice so unlike his normal one he answered.

"Gone. All gone. Everyone's gone."

"Are…are they coming back, buddy?" Joey tried again, hoping to snap Yugi out of this state.

"Nope. No one comes back, Joey. Why are you here? You were gone." Yugi answered questioningly, not once looking at Joey but like a statue in the same position he was in when his friend returned.

"I always come back, Yug'! What is this? You were almost fine when I left! What happened? I only went to collect Danny, I said I was coming back! C'mon, snap out of it!" Joey exclaimed, his voice rising in volume in frustration at Yugi's actions, or lack of.

"He went. You went. Ryou's gone. Everything is wrong, Joey. I ruined everything and nothing is coming back anymore. I'm so sorry…" Yugi trailed off as he finally started to show emotion, choking on his words as he tipped his head down to cry into his knees, being pulled by Joey into a small hug.

"Yes, he went, Yug'. You didn't ruin anything, so quite blaming yourself." He countered softly in a calming manner to reassure his friend who just cried even more.

After a short while of Joey muttering reassurances to him quietly, Yugi had had enough and shot up, breaking free of Joey's grip, a look of anger and frustration in his eyes as he looked at his friend, ready to burst.

"You just don't get it! You don't understand! Why don't you listen, Joey? It is my fault, it is me who ruined everything. I ruined it for me, I ruined it for you, I ruined it for Seto and the whole time no one could see! Why don't you understand, Joey?" He yelled, stunning Joey into silence. But in his stunned state, he was still confused. He knew that Yugi wasn't in the correct state, but he had never expected such anger and rage, he couldn't understand the need to blame himself.

"Yug'…you didn't do…" Joey started, hesitantly as Yugi growled in frustration.

"I did! I did do it! Yami didn't do anything Joey! I'm fed up of lying! Can you see now? I stopped you dating Seto, I ruined my relationship and I lied about it all! Yami was a scapegoat in the whole thing, you understand?"

"Why are you saying this Yug'? I talked to Yami, of course he denied everything but it was clear that he had cheated! When are you going to see him for the scum he is! He doesn't deserve you!" Joey yelled back, just as loud forgetting to be sensitive and getting angrier with the small man in front of him.

"You saw what you wanted to see, you went out of your way to interfere like you do so damn much. Joey, you were wrong and I didn't change your mind! You heard wrong in the supermarket, Yami was telling the truth…EVERYTHING! I caused it all! Letting you and everyone else believe otherwise was easier than admitting what I had done. How would you all react? You would alienate her!" Yugi stopped yelling and grew more desperate in his claims, appearing as a man with a lot to let off, a lot on his mind.

"What are you talking about!" Joey demanded to know, finally fed up with his friends cryptic talking.

"I cheated on him! I cheated on him! I. Cheated. On. Him. Okay! With a girl. Téa. I was ashamed. I don't know why I did it, okay! Yami knew, he left me for that but as long as he wasn't here…as long as he wasn't here I could keep you all believing." Yugi finished, calming his tone as he neared the end.

"TEA! YOU! You…you did all this? You caused all this? You made me believe that Seto and Yami were together? Do you realise how stupid I look, Yug'? Did you think about that? Huh? You…you…you drove me away! I left and you broke everyone apart! Seto lost the person he loved for helping you and this is how you allow me to repay…oh my god. Oh. My. God. Oh Christ. Shit." Joey slowed down, sinking back into the settee, holding his hands over his face in his state of minor shock, Yugi looking at him unsurely before realising.

"You." He said simply and quietly.

"Me." Joey answered in the same tone. "Shit. I…I kissed him. Yug'…how could…I'm sorry, Yug', I can't stay here now." He said, lifting himself from his seat and making his way to the shop front. As he reached the door he paused in his tracks as he felt someone grab his arm. He looked down at Yugi, looking up at him pleading in his eyes.

"I…I'm sorry, Joey." He muttered, helplessly.

But all Joey could do was smile as he pulled Yugi's hand off of his arm and dropped it.

"How do I know you're not lying?" He sneered and turned away, leaving a defeated and very alone Yugi behind him, grabbing Danny and making his way home.

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"Bloody computer!" Seto Kaiba yelled, hitting the monitor for the seventh time in the past half hour as his tracking software refused point blank to work.

"Destination unknown." The computer answered robotically to the query Seto had just issued to find Yami.

"I know that, you pile of crap! I can see the screen you know, I'm not stupid!" Seto yelled, before sitting back in his chair, raising his hand to his forehead as he tried to soothe an oncoming headache. "I'm a prat. A great, giant prat. I am in a room by myself, talking to a piece of machinery. Prat! Prat! Prat!" He continued to himself, resorting to hitting himself on the head continuously, making the arrival of the headache inevitable.

Sighing wistfully, in defeat, Seto closed his eyes and remembered the day left behind him. Subconsciously he found his hands wandering up to his mouth, tracing his lips where Joey had kissed him only a few hours ago. Smiling slightly at the memory he sat back up and opened his eyes. It was the analysis that Seto did following the kiss that made the smile slip away so swiftly.

"He's teasing you, Seto. He knows you loved him and he's teasing you. He's luring you in again." He said to himself, before catching himself out. "Dammit I'm talking to myself!" He continued before shutting down the computer and preparing to leave the room.

But as his hand grasped the door handle, the phone that resided in his office began a shrill, annoying ring. Racing to answer it before it woke anyone up, Seto ran across the room – something he had never had the pleasure of trying before.

"Hel…lo?" He answered, breathless after his mini, unexpected sprint.

"Breathless, Kaiba? What's going on at your place?" A familiar voice rang through, laughter evident in his tone. Just hearing the voice brought a small, but weak, smile to Seto's face again.

"Joey? Why are you calling?" Seto inquired, pretending that the afternoon event had never happened. 'As if he remembers doing it anyway, was so bloody insignificant.' He thought.

"I…erm…I wanna talk to you. Can I come over?" Joey asked directly.

"Sure, but what about Danny? You can't just up and leave him at this time of night!" Seto exclaimed, sounding shocked that Joey could possibly even entertain the idea.

"Ryou's staying the night. Couldn't get home from Yug's and didn't wanna stay in that atmosphere. So can I?" He was sounding desperate now, Seto noted wanting to get any idea of this sudden spontaneity.

"Fine, just…just be quiet when you arrive, it's only me awake. Erm…yeah, I'll buzz you through, see you in a minute." Seto said and hung up, knowing full well it would take Joey longer than a minute to get to his house, even if he did live down the road…and round the corner…and straight on three blocks, and have a car. So he instead opted for lounging back in his chair, closing his eyes and thinking of why Joey could want a sudden 'get-together'…with him of all people.

Oh my…how incredibly crap is this? I kinda struggled with this chapter. I'm so sorry for the delay. This has taken three weeks to get out because I kept changing stuff, my computer broke down etc etc. Just about everything that could get in the way, did. But it's here now and I send you all huge apologies and vast numbers of chocolate and sweets your way, just for the sheer piece of crap this chapter be! L. xx