Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The XX Factor ❯ Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! but I wish I did.

A/N: This chapter is so WAFF, I think I got cavities. Also, since this wasn't an actual `wedding', I didn't want to refer it as such. I just tailored the ceremony to fit.

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Joey was nervous, but more of an anxious nervousness when he and Seto went to the Kaiba Corp. laboratories. They had been readying themselves for this moment for a couple weeks now. They made sure to have everything ready for the ceremony in anticipation for Joey's reversal and were quick to savor the last few feedings before putting Asuka strictly on a bottle.

It was expected that the swollen breasts might last for a few days and the slight belly left behind by the pregnancy would remain, but there shouldn't be any other complications. Seto welcomed the bit of weight gain upon his lover actually.

When they arrived at the lab, a few tests were run just to determine Joey was in adequate physical condition before they were to administer the antidote. Once everything was cleared, they prepared a syringe filled with a teal colored solution and wiped the blonde duelist's arm with an alcohol soaked gauze pad.

Joey gave only a slight wince as he felt the needle prick, but it was certainly nothing worse than what he had gone through almost three months prior to this.

Once the chemical had been injected, the Kaiba Corp. scientists readied everything for the two to leave. They wanted to keep in close contact should anything unexpected happen, but they were hopeful for a smooth transition.

Now that he knew it would be over soon, Joey actually decided he would miss his time being female. Only some parts though. He could not sit still for the rest of the day, complaining about feeling nauseous, but most was due to his nerves.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day after all. He would be male again and he and Seto would be having their ceremony of their marriage. Joey knew he didn't have to worry about it since they were already legally married, but he still had anxieties.

All of their guests were contacted and were eager for the ceremony as well. Their small list included Teá, Ryou, Malik, Bakura, Marik, Serenity, Solomon Mutou, Mai, Duke Devilin, Sasara Tsuki, and Dr. Kokoro. Duke was flying in from San Francisco just to attend, but was nothing less than struck dumb when he heard the entire story.

Joey wasn't too keen on inviting either of his parents, but Seto didn't mind. From being together for as long as they had, Seto had learned well enough that his partner did not care for his father's personality and addictions and found that Joey's mother didn't exactly approve of her son entering in a same sex marriage.

At least Serenity was able to attend and knowing that he had her full support in whatever he did made Joey happy.

They hadn't discussed where they would be going for their honeymoon, but Joey knew it would be wonderful. He was still a little upset at having to leave Asuka behind, but it would be more enjoyable with just the two of them. They thanked Yami and Yugi again as they dropped off some of the things she would need while they were away and paid them a small fee in advance for their troubles.

To take some of the edge away from the slowly approaching next day, Joey devoted every waking minute to caring for Asuka. They played games, cuddled, read books, sang little songs, ate, and napped.

Seto finally managed to convince the shorter teen to let him help some since he was feeling a bit left out of showing his affections. Together, they gave their infant daughter a bath and readied her for bedtime. The two tucked her into her crib and watched her drift off to a gentle sleep before making their way into their own bedroom.

The brunette was first to notice Joey trembling and carefully gathered him into his arms.

"What's wrong, Joey?"

"Just.. really nervous.. an' excited.. an' scared.... But, I don't feel too good either. I kinda felt this way da first time, so I guess dat means it's workin', but I'm still scared," Joey admitted quietly.

"You shouldn't worry. My scientists tested that mixture extensively and even tried it out on themselves to be sure it would be safe for you," he smirked slightly, "because they know they are expendable and it would mean certain death if they caused any harm to come to you."

That got a faint smile and a soft chuckling at least. He began relaxing in his husband's arms until his trembling subsided.

"I think we should both get some rest for tomorrow. I promise to take care of Asuka tonight when she cries."

Joey nodded absently, "Okay. Thanks Seto.. At least she's startin' ta sleep more through da night now."

Seto helped him get ready for bed and let the golden locked head rest upon his chest like a pillow. Joey may have been quick to fall asleep, but he was still restless. The taller tried soothing Joey with soft caresses until he too fell into the waiting arms of sleep.

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Seto did not get much rest that night since he was continually kicked and punched from Joey's tossing about. When sunlight filtering through the bedroom window shone in his eyes, he woke to find the bed in disarray.

One pillow was completely MIA and all the sheets had been kicked to the floor. The mattress was even exposed in one corner from the sheets being pulled free.

Seto had remained in a relatively normal sleeping position throughout the one man wrestling match the previous night, but Joey had managed to almost turn completely upside-down as he lay curled up on his stomach, snoring soundly.

The brunette sat up and leaned over to give his lover a gentle shake, "Joey?.. Joey, wake up."

A few grunts of protest came before a single amber eye cracked open to slowly focus upon him in a groggy stupor.

"Joey, it's morning," Seto urged with a slight anxiousness in his tone.

It took a moment for the wheels to fully turn before the other amber orb snapped open and Joey sat up with alert attention. Already, Seto noticed his features looked a bit more masculine. Joey lifted his shirt to look at his chest.

He cried in despair, "I still have boobs!.."

"No, they're a lot smaller.. They said they would go away completely in a few days.. Why don't you check to see if the most important part is back?" the sable-haired teen coughed slightly.

It was the moment of truth now, Joey grasped the waistband of his boxers and pulled them back, almost afraid to look. He peeked inside cautiously, then let out a triumphant holler before throwing his fists in the air.

"OH YEAH! JOEY'S BACK IN BUSINESS! WHOOOO HOOO!!!"

Seto was startled a bit by the sudden uproar, but felt the relief wash over him. Before he could say anything, he suddenly had a lapful of ecstatic blonde that was kissing him like there was no tomorrow. He gave muffled protests into the kiss, only because he felt himself turning a bit blue.

What seemed like an eternity later, Joey let him up and he gasped hungrily for air. He coughed.

"I'm very happy for you, Joey, but can you.. *cough cough* try not to suffocate me?"

Joey felt he could cry he was so overjoyed. He just laughed and wrapped his arms around his husband's neck to kiss him silly once more until they realized Asuka was crying loudly from being startled awake.

"Joey.. the baby's crying.." the taller struggled to dislodge himself.

"I know! It's it wonderful!"

Hanging his head with a soft sigh, Seto tried again, "One of us needs to go get her."

The ball of utter jubilation at last crawled off his lap to let him tend to their daughter. Right now, Joey had other important matters to attend to and celebrate.

"I'm gonna use da bathroom! I have ta take such a piss!" the shorter youth exclaimed.

".. Thank you for the update.. You know, someone shouldn't be excited about using the restroom."

"They would if they ever lost their second in command!" Joey called one last time before heading into the bathroom.

When Seto returned to the bedroom, cradling a still slightly fussing infant, he found Mokuba yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Were you guys yelling in here? Something woke me up and then I heard Asuka crying... Where's Joey?"

"Sorry, Mokie. Joey just got a little carried away. The antidote worked and right now, he's... bonding.. with himself.. in the bathroom."

The boy giggled, "I'm glad it worked. I guess I'm going to go eat breakfast since I'm up. I gotta help you guys get ready for today because I just know you two are going to be stressed out."

Seto smirked slightly, looking up now that he had calmed the crying, "Are you sure you don't mind staying by yourself while Joey and I are away?"

"It's fine. I can always go to Yugi's and visit Asuka."

"You do know the only reason we are not letting you baby-sit is because I want you a bit older first. I trust your abilities and know you can take care of yourself, but a baby is a much greater responsibility and I know Joey feels better letting Yugi and Yami watch her."

Mokuba nodded, "I know. I'd be too afraid of messing something up anyway.. Okay, I'm gonna go get something to eat now. See you in a little bit.. And I'll have them warm up a bottle for Asuka."

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After Joey finally emerged from the bathroom almost 45 minutes later and everyone finished breakfast, it was time to start getting ready. Mokuba cleaned up and dressed while the other two changed and dressed Asuka.

Joey was nervous that his daughter wouldn't recognize him now, but he looked close enough to what she had seen before that she did not care. That was the biggest hurdle for them. At least they knew now that she would not find it too strange to suddenly have two 'daddies' when she grew older.

Once Mokuba was finished, he was made the babysitter while the teens worked to shower and dress. As excited as they both were, they promised themselves and each other to wait until later to try out Joey's new, old body. Though, they did struggle to keep their hands to themselves while they showered together.

Seto whispered adoring compliments and steamy promises into his lover's ear as he lathered the blonde from head to toe in suds. The bubbly foam did little to hinder the effects of those words, but a flick of the shower knob to douse them in a cold spray worked wonders.

"I swear ta god, if ya don't cut it out, we'll never get outta here because neither of us will be able ta walk."

"And what makes you think that you'll be able to walk later, pup?" Seto teased in a seductive tone.

Joey shivered, "I mean it.. Cut it ou--Did you just call me a dog??!"

Sapphire eyes sparkled with some mischief, "It's a term of endearment.. I didn't want to call you that while you were female since I figured, 'puppy' = 'dog' = 'bitch'.. And I didn't want to be slapped again."

The blonde turned and gave the other a hard shove, "Okay, just get outta da shower already.. Ass.."

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"Joey, you need to calm down," Yugi whispered at his side.

"Yeah, man, you look like you're going to pass out," Tristan added.

"I can't help it, I'm nervous.."

When the guests of honor arrived to the ceremony, the press was already swarming everywhere even though they were slowly being rounded up and herded into the banquet hall. They were lucky enough to have the security keeping the cameras distracted while they went inside. The others were already there waiting and had a round of congratulations and hugs once Joey proudly informed them Joey Jr. had safely returned.

Now, everyone was inside the building and the ceremony was about to start. Serenity was holding her niece where the others were gathered. It was her first meeting, but they both seemed like old friends after just a few minutes.

Mai had gone all out to get a complete makeover just for this occasion. Hair, nails, makeup, and clothes spared no expense. Teá and Serenity came dressed much more reserved, but had gone out to get their hair done as Mai's treat.

Dr. Kokoro sat near Sasara, since they already knew one another. Joey thought it was nice to see the female physician in something other than a white lab coat or scrubs.

Ryou and Malik sat together beside their dark halves. The spirits were almost unrecognizable now as they actually seemed to be obedient and well behaved for once. Moreover, they were even dressed in formal wear! Joey was certain it was a sign of the Apocalypse approaching.

Duke sat close to Serenity since they had not seen each other in so long and did a bit of catching up. He wanted to see the baby as well because he still couldn't believe it.

Solomon sat near Sasara and Dr. Kokoro so he could have a friendly chat with them and not crowd all of the 'kids'. He was also trying to help the two ladies get over the shock of finding Joey a male. Seto and Joey wanted to keep the information quiet, so they never bothered with letting the truth out.

The background music was beginning to quiet now as the ceremony started. It took some searching, but Seto was able to find an ordained minister willing to perform a same sex marital union.

A middle-aged man stood at the head of the altar and smiled warmly at the couple before him. Seto and Joey made sure that he understood they were already 'married', but wanted to exchange vows in an actual formal procedure, so the traditional speech was not needed.

"Welcome, loved ones, to this matrimonial union of Seto Kaiba and Joseph Wheeler-Kaiba. I know how special you all are to be able to attend today.. We are here today to honor this couple's wishes to exchange vows before their friends and family.."

Joey made a little face at his name. He only added the hyphenation for the service to both acknowledge the fact that he was already legally bound to the CEO as well as showing his devotion to that bind by relinquishing his last name.

"They have given me notes beforehand that I will read aloud to you all now.." he took out the papers he had received and looked to the first, "For Seto, Joseph writes: 'I know things have been hard and that we've been through a lot together, but I will continue to stay beside you for whatever may come in the future.'"

The blonde glanced over to his partner slightly and offered a shy smile. His cheeks were tinted a faint hue of pink.

"And, for Joseph, Seto writes: 'The saying goes "opposites attract" and such a statement may not be any truer than for us. You have seen me at my best and have been there through my worst. You have discovered things about me that I have only trusted to one other person. And through all of that, you still care enough to stay beside me and give me a gift more precious than I could ever hope to receive. I always thought you were stubborn, but now I know for a fact that you are since you are standing next to me today and are promising to always remain there."

It was Seto's turn to glance over and smirk playfully back. Joey screwed his face up in fake annoyance, but the love in his eyes continued to show through.

"If we could have the rings?" the minister asked.

The taller teen looked to his younger brother. Mokuba fished the ring boxes out of his pocket and opened the one marked for Seto, letting him take it.

"Do you, Seto Kaiba, continue to take this man as your husband, through sickness and in health, through happiness and sorrow, for better, for worse, 'til the end of your days?"

Slipping the ring onto Joey's finger, Seto looked up and smiled confidently, "I do."

Joey took the other ring from Mokuba, his hands shaking slightly as he waited.

"And, do you, Joseph Wheeler-Kaiba, also continue to take this man as your husband, through sickness and health, happiness and sorrow, for better, for worse, 'til the end of your days?"

He swallowed hard, trying to wet his dry throat while he slipped the band around Seto's finger, "Uh huh.. Yeah.. I do."

Tristan smirked quietly to himself. If this kept up, he would have to hold his friend up on his feet. Yugi just continued to stand on the side, smiling excitedly.

The minister continued, "If there is anyone here that feels that these two should not remained joined, then speak now, or forever hold your peace."

Joey snapped his head around to give a vicious death glare to everyone, just daring them to try and open their mouths. His gaze stayed upon Bakura and Marik for a few extra seconds, but from their expressions, it was clear they would never try anything with the honey-eyed duelist ever again.

"Then, with the power that is invested in me, I pronounce you to remain maritally bound. You may kiss your husband."

They didn't need to be told twice. Joey all but attacked Seto to take him into a passionate kiss. Yugi gave a little squeal of happiness while Tristan, Duke, and Mokuba whistled.

After breaking apart to breathe, the minister finished, "It is my pleasure to introduce Seto and Joey Kaiba."

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They all took a few minutes to continue giving their congratulations in private before the others filed into the banquet hall and took their seats at their respective tables.

The press was seated farther in the back to keep from mobbing the couple once they emerged. The hall was quite packed though from members of the media as well as business associates that wanted to send their well wishes, other citizens of Domino, and fellow duelists that heard of the news.

When the doors opened at last and the two made their grand entrance, the room roared with cheers, applause, and the frantic hustling of reporters to try to get their shouted questions answered.

Joey allowed Seto to answer the questions while he took Asuka back to cradle. The blue-eyed billionaire managed to skirt around specific details that surrounded his daughter, the child's mother, and his husband. The few reporters that continued to dig were escorted out promptly before Seto had had enough and wanted to finish the reception.

Caterers provided dinner for the crowd of guests in attendance. Toasts were made to further congratulate the couple from the head table as well as from people seated about the hall.

After dinner, the large band that was hired played for all that wished to dance. For tradition, Joey and Seto shared the first dance, even though the shorter was a bit self-conscious from everyone watching.

Soon, there were many couples upon the dance floor. Ryou was trying to show Malik how to slow dance. Yami managed to coax his light half to dance with him. Mokuba danced with Serenity.

Tristan continued to sit at the table with Bakura and Marik until he felt someone tap his shoulder. Looking up, he found Duke at his side, bowing slightly and hand held out in an offer.

".. You want me to dance with you?"

"That's why I came over. I haven't seen you forever and I thought this was the best way to get you out of your chair so I could check out your ass," emerald eyes sparkled with amusement.

After nearly falling over in his chair, Tristan finally found himself upon the dance floor with Duke, rekindling the friendship and trying to touch on the hope of something more.

Asuka wasn't left out in the dancing either. She was one of the most popular dance partners that night, if fact. Of course, her parents had first rights before anyone else.

Cutting the cake proved to be entertaining. Seto held a piece carefully for Joey after he was threatened bodily harm, should he shove the cake into his lover's face. But, so much for threats after the brunette swore he managed to get frosting lodged in his sinuses, compliments of Joey. The war was started and the two casualties came out with frosting and cake shrapnel across their faces.

Once the reception finally wore down, and the two had cleaned up from the little cake mishap, it was time for the couple to set forth on their honeymoon. They kissed and fussed over their 'goodbye's to Asuka and gave a few more instructions to the Mutous before bidding farewell and escaping into the night.

As they rode in the limo to grab their bags from the mansion and then board Seto's private jet to their honeymoon destination, Seto held his lover close.

"So, Joey.. I wanted to ask what you thought of your ring?"

"Oh!.. I didn't even look at it.. Did you change it?"

The taller smiled softly before turning on a light so Joey could see. There was a gasp once he had a good look.

The original band had been platinum. Now, that platinum had been reconstructed to form a miniature Blue Eyes White Dragon that appeared to use its tail to encircle Joey's finger. Two, tiny sapphires made the 'eyes'.

As well as the platinum Blue Eyes, there was also a miniature Red Eyes Black Dragon made from rose gold, laying in the same fashion, but facing the opposite direction and detailed with two ruby 'eyes'.

The two dragons were bonded together as their heads lay lovingly and protectively upon the other's back.

"Read the inside," Seto spoke softly.

Carefully sliding it off, Joey read the inscription inside.

~Bound together and forever shall they stay~

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A/N: I know, I know. I'm building up to the part you all want the most!