Genderbent

Chapter 4 ~ It's No Big Deal

  Yugi hadn't hung out alone with Joey in a while. They all usually hung out in a group. He wanted to tell someone about the weekend performances, but he didn't really know how and it was too nerve wracking to bring up around everyone at once. He did want to tell Joey, though. They were best friends, after all.

Yugi thought about Yuki, the girl he was onstage, spacing out as he stared at the cards in his hands.

"Earth to Yugi." Joey said, waving his hands frantically.

Yugi blinked and then laughed nervously, "Sorry I was lost in thought."

"Can't figure out how to defend yourself against my strategy, huh?" Joey smirked confidently.

"Actually," Yugi flipped over a face down monster, placed down a few spells and, "I attack your life points directly and I think I just won." Yugi smiled gently, not wanting to come off as too cocky. It wasn't that Joey was a bad duelist...but he could definitely keep improving.

Joey looked down incredulously. He sighed and leaned back, holding himself up with his arms. They were sitting on the floor of Yugi's bedroom with their cards sparwled out in front of each of them.

  "Man, you beat me even though you're way out of it today. C'mon Yug, you're spacin' out on me."

  "Sorry...sorry." He said sorry twice. The first one hadn't felt sincere enough. He was still kinda lost in thought.

  "What's on your mind? You can't sit still."

  Yugi noticed his bouncing legs and only meant to let out a small embarrassed laugh but it came out as a pitched giggle. He cleared his throat as Joey raised at eyebrow at him, "Uh. Honestly. I'm excited."

  "About what?" Joey seemed amused.

  "Uhh." He contemplated his words. He looked at Joey. He was good people. He makes jokes but he never has malicious intentions. There was a small chance he'd care, that he'd try to talk Yugi out of the whole...Yuki thing. But Yugi trusted him with every fiber of his being. Plus he was too excited to keep it from his best friend any longer, considering the recent development.

  "Okay. I'll tell you." Yugi said, then hesitated, "...I have to show you something. You gotta promise not to jump to conclusions though."

  "Okay? Is it really that serious?" Joey asked bemused as Yugi got up and wandered over to his closet.

  Yugi dug back through the hangers to the very back of his closet and took his performing outfit off the rack. He slowly pulled it out and held it out to show Joey, feeling him start to sweat as Joey squinted at the outfit.

  "You...have a girlfriend?"

  Yugi sighed, "No. Uh. I wear this. For work."

  Joey blinked at the outfit. Then looked back at Yugi, "You...uh. I never thought. Of you that way-"

  "No! No, Jou, I uh. No. I don't do that sort of thing. Absolutely not. I perform on a stage, singing and dancing. Which doesn't sound any better but...uh I don't do anything like that. Anzu and Mai dragged me into it at first but...I ended up having a lot of fun."

  "Ok but," Joey cleared his throat, "Why are you wearing a skirt?"

  "Uh. They kinda...made me pretend to be a girl."

  A moment of cold silence passed before Joey burst into tearful laughter. Yugi was incredulous.

  "I-it's not that funny." He fiddled with the fabric in embarrassment.

  Joey stifled his laughter, "I mean I support you dude but...heh, you really let them drag you into this?"

  Yugi turned and hung up the outfit again, feeling relieved that Joey was taking it so well despite the way Joey was expressing it, "Well I get to meet the King of Games this weekend."

  "Whoa, really?"

  "Yeah. We sold three backstage passes to the show."

  "But won't you be pretending to be a girl?"

  Yugi blushed, "Well, yeah, but I play it off pretty well."

  Joey smirked, "Do you have a fake girl name?"

  "Yeah it's um...Yuki."

  "You didn't even try."

  "Shut up. It was last minute." Yugi shoved Joey playfully and the both laughed.

  "How long have you been doing this?" Joey asked, looking Yugi up and down.

  Yugi laughed nervously, "Uh...at least a month."

  "Oh. Wow. And ya didn't tell me?"

  "Well I..." Yugi scratched the back of his neck, "I didn't really mean to keep it a secret this long."

  "When's your next show?"

  "This weekend...uh. Friday night."

  "What time? I'll see if I can make it." Joey said, pulling out his phone and unlocking it.

  Yugi blushed. It was one thing to tell him and another to perform in front of him. He wasn't so embarrassed about it, but he felt weird about actually getting recognized. Not to mention he'd be pretending to be a girl the whole time.

  "I have a flyer actually..." Yugi said nervously, opening a desk drawer and pulling out a notebook. He retrieved a folded paper from between the pages, put the notebook back and unfolded the paper before handing it to Joey.

  Joey took it and looked at it and then back at Yugi, "I'm guessing gramps doesn't know."

  "Yeah I...just don't know how to tell him. Or how he'd take it."

  "To be honest I think if he knew he'd be at every show. I think it's better for everyone involved if he doesn't." Joey said nervously.

  Yugi silently agreed. It would get weird. Nothing against Sugoroku, but he was very...enthusiastic at times.

  "You think you could spot me for these tickets? I think I can make it."

  Yugi grinned, "Yeah. I'd let you in for free but I think that's up to the venue."

  "Thanks. I'll pay you back."

  "No need! It's just this one time. I'm sure it won't be your thing."

  "Why not? It's got you and Anzu and Mai. Even if I don't like it I'd love to be there to support you whenever I can. Maybe I can hit up Tristen and Bakura and we can all be there."

  "Uh. Sure but...I am pretending to be a girl."

  "Oh right. If you wanna keep it between us I understand."

  "No! I'm fine with it. I trust them. It's just. I'm pretending to be a girl. So it's important you don't out me as...well, not a girl."

  Joey nodded thoughtfully, "Well if you're okay with me inviting them I'll make sure they don't. You go by Yuki in the show, right?"

  "Yeah."

  "Okay. Well. How about another duel? I'm definitely gonna beat you this time. Thirteenth time's the charm!" Joey exclaimed with a big cheesy grin.

  Yugi smiled and nodded, plopping back down and gathering up his cards to shuffle them again.

  Needless to say, he won a thirteenth time in a row.