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Contrary to popular belief, Joey Wheeler was an affectionate person.
He craved physical affection more than air at times. Of course, he'd kick your ass if you ever even considered that around him. He had a 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. One that felt like slick poison sticking to his lungs but a reputation to withhold nonetheless.
At least, that’s how he would have been acting about a week ago. 𝘕𝘰𝘸? Now he's a changed man. Or at least he desperately 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 to be...he's about as changed a guy can be in a week. Yeah. Whatever, the point was that he had a dilemma. The dilemma being that he couldn't feign disgust at touch anymore. It was almost like he was physically unable to. Like he could no longer pretend.
Because Joey Wheeler was an affectionate person.
An affectionate person who doesn't even give anyone those bullshit side hugs anymore.
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮. (It had to be.) Before, he could ignore it on the days it was a only passive ache or just cling to his flat pillow on the ones that made him nauseous--like genuine sick to his stomach level nauseous. Problem was that he was holding onto that pillow as though he was some scared little kid a lot more than usual. Which was already more than he'd ever admit. To make matters worse, the only thing that seemed to help was plain 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗲. That thing?
Imagining himself getting that affection from noneother than one 𝘠𝘶𝘨𝘪 𝘔𝘶𝘵𝘰. It was horrible. He's been friends with the guy for a week and now he's using his image to what? Make himself feel better? To satisfy his cravings? (God.) With the guy having no way other than a sneeze to know he was being thought of deep into the night?
It wasn't fair to him. He knew that it wasn't. It was selfish. It was 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 and yet he can't stop praying that maybe, God please, he'd fall asleep before the truth of his actions can make him sicker than he was before he began to dream.
Sometimes it works.
Last night it had worked.
He wished it didn't. Because now he was greedy. Greedier than he already was for dreaming. He shouldn't do it. He was itching to but he knew he couldn't. Or maybe he could..
Joey looked over to Yugi as his willpower wavered. The other teen was slouched in his sitting position, hand holding that pendant he began wearing when they became friends and thumb just barely rubbing against its surface. The two didn't talk much throughout the day, Honda had been yappin' his ear off about something he couldn't really remember and that kept him from Yugi in most the classes they shared.
And just his luck in the ones he wasn't dicking around with Honda, he was in classes with teach's that'd kill him (or w̶o̶r̶s̶e̶ call his pops w̶h̶i̶c̶h̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶) if he weren't careful with his chatter.
Didn't help that they 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 weren't talking. Though, funny thing was that he was pretty sure it'd be a comfortable silence if his brain would just 𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘵 𝙪𝙥. He continued to stare at the shorter teen (something he probably shouldn't be doing as much he does and for as long as he has) and watched as Yugi's eyelids slowly--almost softly--began to droop.
𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘵.
Joey brought his hand up and planted it right onto Yugi's hair, startling the drowsiness out of him. He chuckled at the mild confusion on his face before leaning just a smidge closer, the movement causing his hand to press further into the other boys hair, and he grinned.
It was soft; his hair. It was soft yet a bit stiff. Probably from some sort of product. Couldn't be gel, no way. Joey's seen what happens when when a guy puts gel in. Like when his old man put an absolute fuck ton on before heading out to God knows where (Joey knew. The man would leave like he was some hotshot and stumble back in with a shiny new debt added to the list), the point was that it makes hair look greasy and gross. Left on too long and it flakes lookin' like the worlds worst case of dandruff, with the hair itself getting stiff as shit.
Or how Hirutani used--probably still uses--gel to slick his back his hair. Joey always thought it made him look stupid. And then stupid turned to sleazy as hierarchies shifted. Admittedly his two main examples were shit, hell they probably weren't even using it right. Just slapping it on till they felt like hot shit. Yugi would use it right. But he was certain it wasn't gel.
But the hell could it be? Were hair creams a thing? How would those work? If they did exist they didn't have them in Domino. Somewhere in America maybe but not here. It had to be something for styling, that was for sure.
He couldn't linger any longer, even if he wanted to. Not without bringing attention to the fact that he wanted.
"Awe, ya' fallin' asleep on me man?" he teased in a tone far too light, far too jollily. A voice too soft. It was probably just because he had sat so quiet so long. Whatever it was, it stopped mattering the moment Yugi titled his head up into his touch (he was just looking up at him, for Christ Sakes Joey you're taller than him) and smiled right back at him.
But he also looked a little sheepish as he shrugged. "Heh..just a little," was his response. Less than a second later he added, "Sorry I've been tired all day..."
...fuck was he apologizing for? Joey glanced at the way Yugi's thumb ran across the puzzles surface at a quicker pace than a moment ago. The blonde stood from the bench the two had settled on probably an hour ago (too long to sit near the school after hours and too little to sit with Yugi) with his hand still resting on his friends head.
Finally he slide his hand off and put both in his pockets. He took a few steps forward before turning right back around on his heels. "Guess I oughtta wake ya' up somehow," Joey spoke with the tone he had meant to before. Loud, confidant.
It was Yugi's turn to stand and when he did he raised his arms in a stretch. The movement sold that he had been falling asleep. Joey couldn't bring himself to feel bad, the bench would've just hurt his back. Besides, even if it didn't he'd rather the guy sleep in a s̶a̶f̶e̶ soft bed. (Was he being selfish again? Forcing Yugi to abandon a quick rest because he didn't like the idea of him dozing there?) Joey didn't leave enough time for Yugi to gather his words and ask what the taller had planned. Instead Wheeler had loudly and suddenly exclaimed that they were going to go bother Anzu.
Bothering Anzu after school hours meant going to where she worked.
Going to that place of work meant burgers.
And burgers meant Yugi was grinning ear to ear, damn near jumping for joy. The sight made Joey's heart swell with pride as it meant he said the right thing. Of course, it was probably cheating considering those greasy things seemed to be the guys favorite food. To that Joey would say to cut him some slack, a win is a win and by God is he winning.
Something Joey's noticed is that it doesn't take a lot to excite Yugi--like the guy's filled with so much whimsy that just a bit more joy causes his glass to overflow. Which depending on what time of day you'd ask Joey, that would absolutely mean he was cheating.
But right now he didn't care. He didn't care because that cheating meant that he didn't have to go home yet. That he didn't have to say 'see ya later' just yet.
(Because that's what it's become, hasn't it? Mocking laughs turned to 'bye's and byes turned to 'later's. Was there anything after that with Yugi? Would be allowed to know? Did he 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 to know? Why did it feel like he did?)
Joey was pretty damned sure he was the one who started the sudden race he and Yugi broke into. The only thing could feel in his chest was joy. Bubbling, ecstatic joy as his friend burst out into a short laugh while attempting to catch up. Joey would have turned to run backwards to see whatever face his friend made but there was no way in hell he was going to risk tripping and 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 himself in front of 𝘠𝘶𝘨𝘪.
The wind felt good in his hair and against his face as the other teen began to catch up. It felt good laughing with him as they approached Burger World.
So what if he doesn't have much cash on him right now? Didn't change the fact he was planning on paying for whatever his pal wanted. Hell, if it took over a hundred bucks to hang out with Yugi for a day he'd find a way to pay.
Honestly, God must've been in a real good mood to let this happiness be free.