NOTE: Okay; it's time. It's time…for LuvinAnime's Flame Speech. Clears throat.

I believe that flames are pointless. They are rude and barbaric. It is my opinion that if you don't like a story: QUIT READING IT! You don't have to go and make the author feel bad!

I understand that some…or in this case: MANY people just laugh at flames as their daily joke or whatnot. But me personally: they go right to me. I take them hard. I understand that not everyone likes my work, but I still take them hard. It just sort of hurts me, though I know it shouldn't. I can take criticism, and reviews that say…my characters are OOC in SMALL INCREMENTS, but I cannot take a whole review devoted to such a topic. I just felt that you ought to know my views on this, and I would appreciate if no one flamed me anymore.

Yes…even though I myself didn't specifically call it a flame, my friends (who helped me through the couple of days I felt sore about it – Thanks Sphincter and Darkshedevil) did, so I decided to give my flame speech. Heck, also, this reviewer said that she didn't like the pairings for Tea. I specifically told them in the first chapter…WHY READ IT IF ONE DOESN'T LIKE THEM! So, there you have it. I will keep the flamer anonymous; however, I just wished to tell you this. Thank you.

Now onto the standings!

TEA:

Seto: 26

Noa: 1

Yugi: 1

SERENITY:

Mokuba: 16 or 17

Tristan: 1

PS: I'm trying to stick MOSTLY with JoeyxMai this chapter. TRYING is the key word. Okay…so it doesn't look exactly the best for a "MOST." I need more ideas for them. This was a "think-on-the-spot" idea for JoeyxMai. I already had the other stuff planned. But I'm putting way more of them in than I usually have! Yeah!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh…so that's why it's into going to be much like the show!

Chapter 12: Letters and Trees

July 9

Yugi moaned as he woke up. He rolled over and looked at the clock. It was just a bit before ten. He closed his eyes again and lay out: spread eagle. The sheets were way too warm for this summer's day.

Yugi liked just to lie in bed and meander around his thoughts…which sometimes ran into Yami, being that Yami was a part of his mind.

What did he run through? Let's see….

Tea…and…Tea…and…Tea…and…the bet with Joey…and…Tea…and…finally seeing Joey and Mai together…and…Tea…which meant if Joey told, he'd have to tell Tea…and Tea…and…how was Grandpa…doing…and…wait…how…was…Grandpa…THE LETTER!

Yugi shot up.

What's wrong, Yugi? Yami suddenly asked, upon seeing his protégé's rash reaction.

The letter! I still have to open it!

Why are you making such a fuss over it?

I dunno.

Grand answer.

Give me a break already. I guess I'm just anxious to hear why Grandpa would be writing to me…. Something might be wrong….

Wouldn't he use a…what-do-you-call-it…one of those things that you talk into and someone talks back through it?

A telephone? Yugi sighed. He thought he had done better at teaching Yami the ways of the present, than that.

Yes! Wouldn't he have called on that if it was an utmost emergency?

I guess…. I'm just gonna open it. Yugi hopped out of bed, and went over to the desk and grabbed the letter. He was about to tear it open when he stopped. Maybe I'll open it with the others that are downstairs. They might want to know what's up. So with that, Yugi left the room and headed for the dining room.

"DAT IS SO MY MUFFIN!" Joey lunged across the table at Tristan, knocking over some (thankfully) empty glasses, and shoving some plates of food away.

"God, Joey, it's just a muffin!" Mai yelled at him.

"But it's MY MUFFIN!"

"Joey, will you control yourself?" Tea tapped her foot impatiently.

"Hey man! Watch it! Don't touch the do!" Tristan snapped at Joey, who was flailing around and in the process had swiped at Tristan's head.

"I'LL SCREW UP YOUR BLASTED "DO" UNLESS YOU GIVE ME BACK MY MUFFIN?"

"Am I interrupting something?" Yugi suddenly walked in.

Everyone, which included, everyone at the house, turned to look at him, "No."

"Oh, okay," Yugi returned and popped into a seat next to Tea, which was a couple seats down from Joey and Tristan: a spot where no one wished to be.

"What's that, Yugi?" Tea inquired, referring to the letter.

"Letter from Grandpa, I think," Yugi looked at it, "I just wonder why he wrote instead of called."

"Dunno," Tea replied, "Just open it."

"Yeah, I was going to," Yugi then slipped his finger across the top of it, tearing the envelope. He took out the letter and opened it up, and began reading. Joey and Tristan had stopped their fight and were watching intently, as were the others, save Seto. He didn't give squat about it, so he continued his previously interrupted meal.

Suddenly everyone blinked. Yugi was reddening while reading the letter…. What for?

"What's up Yug? Why 're you all red?" Joey inquired, getting off the table.

"Huh?" Yugi looked up from the letter, still red, "I uh…nothing, Joey, nothing…."

"What's your Grandpa got to say?" Mai asked.

"Nothing…nothing…just wanted to tell me some stuff," Yugi reddened strongly.

"Let me see dat," Joey suddenly came up behind Yugi and snatched the letter out of his hands.

"JOEY!" Yugi looked at his bare hands for a moment, and then started flailing for the letter. Joey kept his hand on the boys' head to keep him down while he scanned the letter. His mouth grew into a gigantic smirk: one that could easily have won first prize for "Largest Smirk of Satisfaction in the World."

"Well, isn't dis interestin'?" Joey looked down at Yugi, who was turning beet red by the second. Seto barely looked up from his plate to see what all the commotion was about. The others watched in interest. Joey cleared his throat.

"No Joe!" Yugi pleaded.

Joey smirked and started, while nodding to Tristan to come hold the boy down. Tristan readily hopped over the table (scaring Serenity to death as he came lunging over). As he held Yugi, Joey began walking around the table, as he began reading aloud:

"Dearest Yugi," he began, "Guess who? It's me! Rebekah Hawkins! I bet you're wondering why your home return address is on the envelope. Well, it just so happens that Grandpa and I came for a visit. I was SO anxious to see you, dear Yugi, but when we arrived at your house, your Grandpa said that you had gone on a trip just a week before! And the worst part was: YOU WOULDN'T BE BACK FOR THREE WEEKS!

So, we've been staying at your house for the past couple of days. Your grandpa offered me to sleep in your room. Hope that's okay. It makes me feel SO much closer to you though, than where you really are!

I miss you terribly Yugi. I sit in your room everyday just looking over everything of yours, waiting: JUST WAITING. We're going to stay until you come back! Isn't that just GREAT!

I can't wait to see you! Bye! LOVE, Rebekah. PS: Your Grandpa (and mine) both say hi to you and everyone else!" Joey finished, having given all of the emphasis in the right parts of the note. He then folded it.

The room was silent for a minute, as Yugi broke free of Tristan's now weak grasp, and snatched back the letter, his face still red.

Surprisingly, it was Seto who broke the silence, "I never would have known you would have a stalker, Yugi. Worshipper, yes: the clowns around you do that all the time, but stalker? I'm most surprised," Seto smirked.

Yugi just about lost it, "SHE IS NOT A STALKER!" He shut his mouth when it finally sunk in just who he had yelled at. Seto narrowed his eyes slightly, and Yugi cringed a tad. Tea suddenly stood up.

"Yugi: that was awesome. Keep it up! Give him a piece of your mind. It's not hard. I yell at him all the time," Tea encouraged. Everyone was staring at her awkwardly now. Serenity and Mai exchanged glances. Ryou looked over at the two girls. "It's easy," Tea continued, "Just stand straight and proud," she pushed his back into the right position, hearing a couple cracks in the process, "set your eyes straight and tell him off. He had no right to say that," Tea coached.

Yugi took a deep breath, "I-! I-! I-…" Yugi exhaled and slouched. He couldn't do it. Seto laughed.

"The high and mighty King of Games can't even stand up for himself? He has to have his girlfriend do it for him?"

Yugi reddened a whole bunch at this comment, however Tea didn't notice. She was busy denying it, "Yugi IS NOT my boyfriend!" However, there was a tinge of pink in her cheeks. Mai and Serenity exchanged smirks again, and Yugi became a tad worried. She had flat out denied it…well, except for the pink tinge…. But maybe it was just because they were in the presence of Seto?

"Whatever," Seto stood up and walked out.

Mostly everyone was out on the beach: some people were in the water; and some were just running around on the sand. Joey, however, was the only one…up in a tree. Yes, Joey was swinging his legs back and forth, while watching everyone frolic about. Why had he climbed the tree? He just felt like it. You know Joey: well…actually, you don't, but that's not the point.

No one could really see him there. This tree just so happened to be a willow tree: therefore the vines were covering him from view. But that didn't mean he hadn't shifted and pulled curtains away to spy on others.

All in all, Joey just wanted to relax outside: alone and uninterrupted.

Actually, he had a good view of the doings of everyone:

Mokuba and Noa were trying to splash Seto and futilely get away before he brought them under the sea.

Serenity and Ryou were whispering to one another about God-knows-what on the patio. Joey furrowed his eyebrows at this. What could they possibly be talking about?

Then he noticed Tristan sending nasty looks at Ryou, yet Duke wasn't even bothering. What was up with that? Last he semi-knew, the two were head-on for his sister. What happened to Duke?

Yugi and Tea (Joey smiled) were chatting away on the beach. However, Joey noticed that Tea kept glancing off somewhere frequently. But the glances were so quick, that he couldn't see exactly where she was looking. It did seem though that she was looking at something out in or over the water….

But…where was Mai?

"Lookin' for me, hun?" Joey suddenly looked down at Mai's figure. She herself was looking up at him, while leaning on the trunk of the tree. She had a T-shirt (OMG! She's actually wearing a T-shirt!) over her bikini.

"Uh…what makes ya think dat?" Joey inquired.

"Dunno," Mai shrugged, "What are you doing up there all by your lonesome?"

"Just lookin' 'round. Guess I wanted ta be alone fer a little bit," Joey replied.

"Oh," Mai's gaze dropped to the floor, "I'll leave you to your watch then-"

"Wait uh, Mai!" Joey stopped her as she turned around. She stopped and looked over her shoulder up at him.

"Yes?"

"…Why don't you come up here an' join me?" he patted the space on the branch next to him.

"Hun, climbing trees really isn't me," she said.

"Here: I'll help ya," he replied, holding onto the trunk, and leaning down, extending his hand. "Just step up onto the low branch there and grab my hand. I'll help you up here. Nothin' to it."

Mai seemed to consider it for a moment. Was she really going to do this? Climbing trees truly wasn't her forte. Oh, the heck with it. "Hold on!" Mai said, as she heaved herself up onto the first branch. Joey smiled.

Suddenly, she grabbed onto his hand, and an electrical shock seemed to pass through the both of them. They paused for a moment, just looking at one another's faces.

A loud shout from Mokuba helped clear their heads a moment later. Joey helped to hoist Mai up onto his branch, and seated her next to him, near the trunk, just so that the amateur climber could hold on if she so desired.

Of course, little did he know…and barely even Mai registered in her subconscious, that there was somewhere…someone else she would rather hold on to.

"So…what exactly were you doing up here?" Mai inquired. "If I know you: you weren't JUST sitting around and relaxing."

"Too true," Joey replied, "Actually, I was watchin' the others. I wanna know what those two are talkin' about (he pointed to Serenity and Ryou…while Mai sweat slightly) what's up with Duke (yet again, Mai sweat) and what da heck Tea keeps lookin' at!" he then pointed to Tea, who they caught in "glance mode." Mai had a most odd feeling at just exactly what-er-whom Tea was looking at.

"I see what you mean," Mai elongated the truth. She knew the reasons behind Serenity, Duke and Ryou…but not completely behind Tea….

"So…how do ya like da trip?" Joey inquired, diverting his gaze towards her.

"It's awesome. Exactly the type of vacation I need," Mai replied, "Relaxation; fun; gossip; mystery-"

"Mystery?" Joey asked.

Mai shifted her eyes, "Uh…yeah…uh…just like…thoughts about what people aren't telling us, you know? Like Duke over there," she whipped up quickly.

"Ah, I see!" Joey replied.

And the two continued talking about random thing for quite a while. So long in fact, that the sun visibly slowly made it's way over to the west and began disappearing behind the horizon. And all that time, the two spent in the tree. The others had since long gone from the beach. But the two didn't seem to notice. They were still talking and watching things from the tree.

Joey saw a light on in the beach house: one of the room lights, "Hey, isn't dat Kaiba's room? Whaddya think he does up der all da time? It's not like he has anyting ta do, 'cept be a jerk and be a couch potata all the ding-dong day."

"Ding-dong-day?"

"I picked it up from Noa."

"Ah. As to your Kaiba question: you have a good point, I guess. It'd be interesting to see what he really does up there (though she had her own ideas to that hintlaptophint). That's what I mean by mysteries, you know?"

"Yeah. I gotcha." For a few minutes they stayed silent, just thinking. Suddenly, Joey spoke again: most spontaneously, "Hey Mai?"

"Ah!" Mai exclaimed, clutching her heart, as she jumped, not exactly having taken the sudden silence break. "My Go-Ah!" in her jump, she had dislocated her seat, and was beginning to fall backwards. "Joey-!"

"I gotcha, Mai!" Joey leaned over, and in the dim light her received from the dying sun, he caught her by the arm. She frantically clasped her hands to his shoulders, digging her nails into them. He winced a tad at the pain, but slowly pulled her back up.

By the time Joey had pulled her back up, everything was calm again. Mai still hadn't removed her arms from Joey. They stared back at each other silently. It was another stock-still moment.

Slowly, as if by instinct, Joey's hand that had grabbed Mai's arm, traveled down the side of it, and snaked just slightly around her waist, though not much.

Mai blinked a couple times. What was all this?

"…Mai-" Joey started. Now had to be the time to tell her. Now was his time to fill the bargain between him and Yugi. Now-

Suddenly, there was no afterthought. There were only lips: lips that had pressed onto his. Joey, still in shock though, gradually registered this most wonderful fact, and accepted it. His hand wound more around her waist and the other found its way there.

Joey turned his head ever so slightly just to intensify the kiss. He had been waiting for this for oh so long.

Through his closed eyes, he swore he saw a small white flash, but it was probably just his brain sending in light signals or something. He didn't care. He was in Heaven.

Of course, a certain deprived stomach broke the moment all too soon. His deprived stomach. He had gone without dinner….

The two suddenly pulled away, brining their limbs back to themselves.

"Joey-?"

"It wasn't-"

"What it looked like," Mai finished. Both of them felt a pit of shame and guilt form in the knots in the stomachs. But this was ignored.

"…I think we ought to go in for dinner, Mai. It looks pretty late," Joey hopped down from the tree in one leap, gracefully. He began walking away.

"Joey, wait! Aren't you going to help me down or something?" Mai panicked.

Joey stopped and turned; his usual grin on his face, "Can't ya get yourself down?" he laughed.

"Joseph Wheeler, this isn't funny!" Mai scolded, rocking her legs back and forth violently.

"I disagree, Miss Valentine," Joey smirked and walked off. In the distance, he heard Mai's shouts continue. She would get herself down sooner or later.

On the way back to the house, he couldn't help but to think of what had happened. It had been the bliss of haven: a wonderful bliss. And it just had to be broken by his stomach.

"Why can't you control yourself!" he yelled at his inanimate stomach. It gave a small rumble back in reply. Joey sighed. This was his life. He sighed again. Having given the first message out, seemingly, he would –hopefully- tell Mai tomorrow what he felt for her. Hopefully being the key word.

It wasn't looking good on Yugi getting to fulfill his end of the deal.

Joey opened the front door and found most of his fellow friends seated in the lobby area, doing whatever it was that they pleased. He then bellowed, "Hey guys! When's dinner?"

"Dinner was two hours ago," Tristan said from a book on motorcycles he was actually reading.

"WHAT!" Joey exclaimed. He had been so wrapped up (literally) in Mai…that he had FORGOTTEN DINNER! The Apocalypse had come!

"Where were you? We were beginning to get worried," Yugi piped up.

"…In a tree," Joey stated.

"Did a cat chase you up there? Shouldn't be the other way around-" Seto said from the top of the stairs, "-mutt?"

"A CAT DID NOT CHASE ME UP A TREE, KAIBA! AND I AIN'T A MUTT!" Joey yelled at him.

"Just ignore him, Joe," Serenity said, her hands fiddling with something behind her back.

"Joseph Wheeler! You are so de-" Mai suddenly burst in the door, and shut up upon seeing the many surprised looks she had gotten.

"We were wondering where you were too…" Duke stated.

"Now we know," Mokuba affirmed.

"Oh, we know alright," Serenity whispered to Tea, whom she had shared something with earlier. Tea smirked.

She whispered back to her friend, in a sing-song voice, "Joey and Mai: sittin' in a tree-"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Serenity giggled back quietly, making sure the camera behind her was nicely hidden from the blonds' views.

"First comes love-"

"Then come marriage-"

"THEN COMES THE BABY IN THE BABY CARRIAGE!" they both became carried away, and accidentally sang a little too loudly, thus receiving stares from everyone.

"Uh…what in the world are you two talking about?" Duke asked them slowly.

"Nothing…worth hearing probably," Tristan replied.

"Oh! It's nothing nasty," Serenity said, "It's just funny! And very worth your hearing…though we're not going to say anything at the moment."

"Why not?" Yugi asked. Serenity gave a small jerk of her head towards Joey and Mai. They understood.

"Well…I'm gonna go catch a bite to eat. Later!" he waved haphazardly and walked off towards the dining room. Mai went upstairs to her room.

Serenity turned around and took the camera out from behind her back, "Guys: voila!" She turned the digital camera on and there, on the screen, was a picture of the two kissing madly. Bouts of laughter poured from Tristan and Duke's corner. Tea giggled softly, having already seen the picture. Ryou laughed quietly with her. Yugi gave a few…slightly evil sounding…chuckles, thinking that this was the perfect payback for embarrassing him so badly this morning. Mokuba laughed, as Noa did, and Seto just stood at the bottom of the stairs, not caring: as usual.

"Ah…well, I'm going up. See ya," Tea waved off to the guys and headed upstairs. However, she couldn't help but to notice the slight chill that ran through her body as she passed Seto's form.

Once safely in her room, Tea proceeded to her laptop. Last night, before she had gone to bed (after her talk with Mai) she had replied to Seto…and…surprisingly, he had replied back. It was an interesting chain of letters. So now, she was going to reply back to his.

(Tea's last letter)

Kaiba,

Maybe I misspoke when I said you were normal. Then again…no. Argh! Never mind! You're making me think: and that's SOMETHING I don't want to do over summer!

In regards to your…um…finding…of that stupid little quote…well…technically, I'm not sure what to tell you. I guess…okay, so maybe you aren't all the time FULLY irritating, but that's only about 2 mind you. The rest of the time…I dunno, I guess it's kind of humorous watching you mouth off like that; saying the most ridiculous things.

And lastly: fine. You win. If you're really interested just go on right ahead and "fish" through my last story. I know you probably would anyway just to irritate me. Alas though, maybe you'll choose not to: I really couldn't care less.

Later:

Tea

(Seto's reply)

Gardner,

Humorous? That's a first. I never would have thought that you of all people would say that. Is everything all right up in that head of yours? Besides what was wrong with it before?

Kaiba

PS: I had nothing to do: so I took you up on your offer and read your last story. Not bad. I still believe that that first one of yours is the best though…and by best, I mean it was at least enjoyable: it wasn't something that put me to sleep…immediately.

(Tea's next reply)

Kaiba,

HEY, HEY, HEY! There is nothing wrong with my head AND YOU KNOW IT! I really do find you amusing at times: when you get boiled up over some stupid little argument or duel or whatnot, or when you get overexcited in some duel (you DO tend to get overexcited…it's fact). Yeah, so that's about it. DON'T bring it up again. However, I know this isn't the last I'll hear of all this, being that you're as stubborn as they come…and you just love to aggravate people…like me. No comments on that, PLEASE.

Tea

PS: Had to throw in that last word, didn't you? Humph…well, at least I know that other people like them. Because if they can't put YOU to sleep…IMMEDIATELY…then I'm pretty well set. But that's ALL of them. There' nothing more…so you can stop your little excavations through my things!

Tea finished. Was it just her…or was she starting to act a little…friendlier around Seto? That was strange….

Yugi sat at his desk with a pen and paper. He sighed as he thought up what to say.

What are you doing, Yugi? Yami asked.

Replying to Rebekah.

Why?

It's the polite thing to do…and if I don't, she'll probably bombard me with letters…and possibly even calls, wondering why I haven't done so. Heck, she'll probably be happy too…. Maybe it might shut her up for a few days….

Shut her up? That doesn't sound like you, Yugi.

Sorry. She's a great kid and everything, but I feel really uncomfortable since she's like…obsessed with me. It's sort of…scary.

Having a girl obsessed with you is frightening? You really are different from other boys your age.

I know.

I like you that way.

Thanks. I've gotta stop talking now, Yami, or I'll never get this blasted thing done.

Alright, Yugi. Seeing Yugi slightly irritated, Yami backed off. Thus, Yugi began:

Hey…Rebekah,

It was very….surprising to hear from you. Was this trip a surprise visit or something, because I had no idea you were coming. I hope you are enjoying yourself at least a little in Domino. I myself am having fun here.

Well, I don't have much else to say. I guess I'll…see you in three weeks. Later.

Yugi

PS: Yeah, it's okay if you use my room and all. Oh, and tell Grandpa…and Professor Hawkins hi for me…and on the behalf of the others.

There, Yugi thought, short, sweet and to the point: done.

Mai was walking back from the bathroom, all ready for bed. She stopped when she saw Joey standing in his doorway, watching her.

"Something wrong, hun?"

"Nah…I just…" Joey couldn't figure out what to say as to why he was watching her like that. By now, she was standing almost right in front of him, waiting for an answer. "I…Mai…" Joey still couldn't speak.

"Come on: what is it?" Mai took hold of his hand, as if to reassure him. Instead of reassuring, however, it just made things worse on the boy.

"I…I-" suddenly, Joey pulled Mai into his room and shut the door. They weren't seen the rest of the night.

Well? How was it? I tried to stick mainly to JoeyxMai, as I hope you saw, but I still had to put some daily "rituals" in, like the ongoing SetoxTea and all…. (PS: Nothing "nasty" is going on between Joey and Mai. Remember this fic is only PG… no yellow fruits that are very acidic….) Well, I know the chapter wasn't much, but better chapters will come later. I myself felt I sort of "forced" the JoeyxMai in here. And I don't want to rush anything, but doing that is so difficult. I mean, after so many chapters, you want to say: they should be together now: or there should be more interaction, however, I must always remind myself that this is day by day…and in real life, things don't truly sprout up after ten days…. Well, PLEASE REVIEW! Bye!

PS: If you haven't interpreted from me bringing Rebekah in (and with my current obsession)…I do believe Yugi is out of the polls. That leaves it between Noa and Seto for Tea. Keep voting! Not much longer! (Though I think we all know the apparent winners for both girls….)