#ygo!

Joey felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest. This could ruin everything. 

Couldn't it? 

Yugi was his best friend. His favorite person on the planet. The one person he could always go to. 

But did that include this? 

Joey stared up at the ceiling and tried to organize his muddled thoughts. 

Worst case scenario: he lost Yugi. But would that ever happen? Yugi did say he loved him. He might've meant as a friend or a brother, but even so… that means he couldn't lose him over something silly like this… right? 

Best case scenario…. Joey shook his head. He didn't want to get his hopes up. 

At the very least… it'd get off his chest. 

Joey walked Yugi home from school every day. It used to be to protect him from bullies, but since Battle City, it was to get creeps off his back over those Egyptian God Cards. Everybody wanted a shot at the champ. 

"HEY! IT'S THAT MUTO KID!" 

"Shit." Joey put an arm around him and changed their direction. "This way." He pulled Yugi into an alley. 

"COME BACK! SHOW US THOSE GOD CARDS!" 

"You'd think this would die down a bit." Yugi puffed after a block of running. 

"'Til someone beats ya…" Joey checked behind them. One guy still was on their tail. 

"Someone has already." Yugi threw back his head and laughed. 

"Yeah… well he knew firsthand what those stupid cards will do to ya." Joey grabbed Yugi's hand. "This way!" He ducked into an alley and found a fire escape. 

"There is no way I can make that jump." Yugi read his mind. 

"If I boost ya?" Joey stopped and put his hands down for Yugi to step up. 

"This is crazy." Yugi took a deep breath and took a step. Joey pushed him up and Yugi pulled the ladder down. He shimmied his way up and Joey managed to jump and pull himself up. 

"Keep climbin!" Joey pulled the escape back up. Yugi scrambled up with Joey close behind. They reached the roof, and both were out of breath. 

"This…. Is… ridiculous!" Yugi threw his hands up. "This isn't why.. I did.. Battle City… at all!" Yugi plopped on the ground and leaned back on his hands. "I didn't… want this…." 

"Hm." Joey sat next to him and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "They don't know about all that stuff though Yug." He smiled softly at him. "And cause of you… they don't have to."

"I know." Yugi huffed and hunched over. "But just because the Pharaoh likes the attention doesn't mean I do too." 

"Ey that's okay." Joey leaned back and grinned. "I'd rather keep ya to myself anyway." Joey clamped his mouth shut. 

Shit. 

He looked away, feeling his face flush. Joey shut his eyes tight. 

Stupid stupid stupid stupid. 

"I'd rather just be with you too." Yugi mumbled. Joey peeked back at him. 

"Yeah?" 

"Of course." Yugi squinted in the sun. "I'm at home with you." Joey's heart fluttered. The sun was shining through the red tips of his hair, and glinting off the blonde of his bangs. His violet eyes were sparkling. 

How could a boy be so… pretty? 

"Y-yug?" Joey's heart slammed in his chest. "Can I talk to ya about something…. That might be a little… weird?" 

"Joey, you helped me save the world from an evil ancient spirit." Yugi raised a brow at him and smiled softly. "You can talk to me about anything." 

"Right." Joey sat up and put his hands in his lap. "Um… so do you 'member how Marik like… took my mind over and I broke his control and… and you thought you were gonna die… so… so you said that…" Joey's eyes wandered back to Yugi who was starting to blush. "Um. You said you loved me." 

"Yeah." Yugi looked down in his lap. "Um. I'm… sorry. About that." 

"What? Ya mean you don't?" Panic slapped Joey for an instant. Yugi looked up and raised his hands. 

"No! No I mean I do!" He swallowed. "Um. I mean… I'm sorry I might've… overstepped." 

"No." Joey shook his head and took one of Yugi's hands. "No…. I'm glad you said it. I… I just…" He took a shaky breath. He realized he was holding his hand now and felt dizzy. "Um…" Joey was about to let go when Yugi squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I just can't stop thinking about it." 

"It was scary." 

"I thought I was gonna lose you." 

"So did I." Yugi half laughed half cried. 

"I had to save you and I couldn't let you die without…. Without tellin ya." Joey felt himself shaking. He looked into Yugi's eyes, that were widening. "I couldn't tell ya… unless I knew you were okay." 

"Tell me what? " Yugi whispered in disbelief. 

"Tell ya…" Joey looked deeper into his eyes and ignored what felt like a heart attack in his chest. "Tell ya that y-youre the person I always wanna be with. That I think of ya the second I wake up in the morning and right before I go to sleep at night. That I think about ya all the time and… and I like the person I am when I'm with ya. And… and I… I've been thinking about what it might feel like… if…" Joey looked down at Yugi's hand. He smiled at the chipped black fingernail polish. "What it might feel like if I kissed ya." Joey slowly looked back up. Yugi was stunned and looked utterly confused. "Oh god." Joey widened his eyes. "You don't love me that way." He ran a hand through his hair and laughed. "Jesus. Fuck. Okay. I think I'll jump off the buildin' now." 

"Joey no!" Yugi grabbed his arm before he could walk away. He stood up. "No… no I… I… I just never thought you'd feel… the same way." 

"The same way…" Joey sighed in relief. "So… so ya DO like me?!" Yugi laughed. Joey could see tears in his eyes. 

"Yes." 

Joey wrapped his arms around him and held him tight. 

"Thank fuckin god." Joey mumbled into his hair and pulled back. He caressed Yugi's face as he chuckled. "C-can I kiss you?" Yugi wiped a tear from his cheek and nodded. Joey leaned down and softly placed his lips on Yugi's. He felt his heart soar as Yugi wrapped his arms around his neck. Joey couldn't help but scoop him up and spin him around. He felt him smile against his lips.