AN: Hello everyone! For the one reviewer who asked me if the dog was male/female. It is Male, It was my typo and I didn't catch it. I apologize and will be more careful in the future. Here is the first chapter of Frozen Heart!
Disclaimer: Of course I do not own it!
Chapter One: Out of the storm.
ONE HOUR AFTER JOEY TAKES OFF.
The blizzard seemed to be picking up a lot of speed, the wind howling in what seemed like rage. Yugi stood by the window looking at the snow falling rapidly. A worried expression on his face, Tea was sitting on the sofa reading a book. She didn't seem concerned or worried. Her only worry was Yugi. What did she care if Joey took off? That was his fault.
Yami glared at Tea and made his way beside Yugi placing a hand on Yugis shoulder. Yugi gave a small whimper and turned too cling onto Yami sobbing. "I should've paid more attention to Joey, he took off because I invited him over and I was too busy with Tea." He sniffed. "He's probably dead now!"
Tea gave a snort under her breath. Yami hugged Yugi wishing Tea wouldn't have come over at all. "Don't worry Yugi; I do not believe he is dead."
Yugi wiped his eyes. "But it's below freezing! Before the electricity and phones went out I called, Joey hadn't made it home? Oh dear god what if he is still out there?"
Yami sighed brushing a tear from Yugis eyes then leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "It's not your fault Yugi, no one knew the blizzard was going to hit. It came so unexpectedly. Don't blame yourself Yugi, please don't assume the worst. He could have made it to someone else's house. Please don't cry." He knew he couldn't do much. Yugi was feeling guilty and worried and Yami was too. He did all he could think of to do and held Yugi in his arms rubbing his shoulders and whispering that it would all work it. Though he had his doubts about that.
Tea shut her book giving them a look of aggravation. "Hey Yugi we should make hot chocolate and sit by the fire. Don't you think that would be great?"
"How can I? When Joey might be freezing to death? He might already be dead!"
Yami held the now sobbing boy in his arms and fixed Tea with a harsh glare. He had never felt so furious. "How can you even ask him that? You know he is worried over Joey. How can you just act like nothing is wrong? After all your 'friendship speeches' I would think you'd be more concerned."
Tea shook her head. "How can I be concerned over him? He'll find his way somewhere. He'll be just fine. Now since you want to ignore me Yugi, I'll just go to bed you can have the sofa." With that she stomped up stairs and threw a few blankets down. "How dare he insult me?" Tea asked herself kicking the door shut and slumping on the bed with a pout. 'Every time I try to spend time with Yugi, someone has to ruin it every time I get close to finding out the secret.' Tea hated Joey. As much as she hated everyone else. Her little friendly act was just a way of getting to Yugi; well more to the Yami Everyone was so stupid they had no idea what she had been planning. She snickered to herself and shut out the lamp.
Yami sighed bringing a cup of hot chocolate to Yugi who was sitting on the sofa staring at the fire. "Yugi, you should drink this. I know you're not thirsty but you need to keep your strength up. Joey might need you. The storm should be over soon and then we can go and search for him."
Yugi looked up hopefully at Yami. "You will help look for him?"
"Of course I will Yugi, Joey is a friend of mine too. I am just as concerned." Yami said seriously and handed Yugi the hot cocoa as he sat down.
Yugi took it taking a sip. It didn't even warm him up. It made him feel cold inside. "You know, if Joey is okay and forgives me I promise I'll be a better friend. Since I started dating Tea I haven't had time for anyone else. I've been ignoring everyone including you Yami. For that I am so sorry."
Yami patted Yugi gently on the shoulder. "It is alright my…friend." He said giving Yugi a smile. "We should try to get some rest at least. Tomorrow will be a very busy day." Yugi nodded resting his head on Yamis shoulder. Yami sighed. He had almost called Yugi his love, a mistake that might have cost him his friendship. He didn't know how Yugi would react if he knew that Yami had been harboring feelings for him. He shook his head. Now was not the time to think of his feelings. Not with Joey out there.
He gently laid Yugi on the sofa and covered him up. Then Yami yawned and headed upstairs to his room the attic. Yugi had been nice and talked his grandpa into letting Yami stay after his father and mother died a very mysterious death. Yami frowned opening the door to the attic and stepped inside going to a small corner sitting down. His eyes were closed in deep meditation.
He felt himself soaring out into the storm, searching for life forces. He had to find Joey. He had searched the area around Joey's house and didn't feel a signal at all. He felt like he was soaring over the city. He finally found Joeys life force and was shocked to see him fall down his eyes closing. He had just lost consciousness. Yami sighed. He could sense other life-forces to. It was Seto Kaibas, and Mokubas. He could sense others too, which probably belonged to maids then another small life force he knew belonged to an animal.
Yami floated through the wall and spotted the dog, which instantly looked up growling at him. Yami glared down at the animal challenging the small dog to follow him. Mokuba was looking a bit frightened. Why would Sash act that way. Mokuba shivered and looked in Yamis direction. Yami sighed. He felt sorry for dragging the dog outside, but felt certain that was the only way to bring someone out here to rescue Joey Wheeler.
Yami led the dog outside, who was trying to attack him to no avail. When the dog saw Joey he began to bark like crazy trying to get someone to come out. Yami waited in the distant. Until he saw Seto picking Joey gently off of the ground and taking him into the house. Yami knew even though Seto picked on Joey he wouldn't just leave him to die. He was worried about what might happen afterwards. Would Seto hold Joey in debt and torture him more. Yami was hoping not, if that happened he would have to do something else.
Yami felt himself falling backwards and feeling the impacting of hitting the ground hard. His head was swimming. Yami gasped for air and rubbed his head. Leaving his body always made him feel like this. Yami went back downstairs to see Yugi sobbing again. "Yugi, Joey will be okay." He said startling his one love.
Yugi jumped and looked into Yamis eyes surprised by the confidence in the teen's eyes and relief. "How can you know?" He whispered. It was a soft question. Yugi didn't know why but Yami acting so self confident made Yugi believe that Joey would be okay. "What if he dies?"
"He won't." Yami said sitting down by Yugi. "Don't ask me how I know. I just do. Now you should go back to sleep." He ran his hand through Yugis hair, an act which always made Yugi sleep.
NOW WE GO TO MORNING AT SETOS HOUSE.
Joey felt like he was on fire, he struggled trying to move feeling like he was wrapped tightly. He started coughing and nearly gasped at a hand gently on his shoulder. "Stay still, you still have to recover." Joey turned to see ice-blue eyes staring in his. The blank emotionless eyes of Seto Kaiba. Joey shivered and started coughing trying harder to get out of this thing. "You have a high fever Joey that is why you are hot. Stay still and I will undo this wrap."
"Wrap?" Joey whispered still feeling a bit hazy. He strained his brain to remember what had happened. He remembered being at Yugis house, his mind became less hazy the more he thought of it. He had left because Yugi was to busy making out with Tea to even care about him. Then the blizzard had hit he had been walking and then…he must have passed out. Now he was here obviously in Setos house.
"A hypothermia wrap. You're body's temperature was way below normal. You are still recovering. You should be thankful I know about this shit." Seto said unzipping the bag.
Joey felt weak He allowed Seto to pick him up and place him on the bed. Joey then looked up at Seto confusion in his eyes. "How did I get here? Were you by my house?"
Seto snorted. "Please, I wouldn't go to that flea-ridden red-neck trailer if my life depended on it. I was going to ask you the same question. Our dog got out and I decided to bring him in when I find you under the tree passed out. You would have died if I didn't bring you in mutt."
Joey felt his anger rising as his cheeks flushed. He almost died and Seto was still treating him like this. "I wasn' tryin' to get to ya house! I was tryin' to get ta mine!"
"Well you have a poor sense of direction then." Seto remarked. "It looked as if you'd been out there for hours. Now silence pup. I'll bring you something to eat."
Joey growled. Feeling to weak to throw a punch, it didn't help much that he was seeing everything blurry right now. He felt a fear rush through him. What if he went blind like his sister? He didn't want to be blind. "No, I'll be fine. Like Moneybags said, I'm jus' recovering."
"Joey you're all right. Seto is calling the hospital right now." Mokuba said handing Joey a cup of light red water. "It's diluted Jell-o. He said you can't have solid foods yet until the doctor says so." Mokuba sat down next to the blonde. "Sash saved you, he is our border collie. He is so sweet, and he normally doesn't go outside in cold weather. He was hollering up a storm……"
Joeys mind wondered off a bit as he closed his eyes listening to Mokuba talk about the dog. He was now in a collar with a chain leash. He looked up to see Seto who was smirking. It made Joey shiver. "I saved you mutt, therefore you are mine." He began to laugh wildly. Joey's eyes snapped open when he felt something cold on his chest. He looked to see a man in a doctor's uniform looking down at him.
"His heart rate and pulse are very strong." The doctor replied to Seto who was leaning against the doorway with his arms folded. "His reflexes are a bit slow, but they should recover in no time. He has no sign of frost bight and should recover without any serious injuries." He looked down at Joey his eyes dark and serious. "You are very lucky Mr. Wheeler that Mr. Kaiba rescued you when he did. Any longer and you would've went into a comatose stage."
Joey coughed and looked away. He knew he was lucky he was alive he didn't need someone pointing that out to him! It was bad enough as it is. 'I owe Seto Kaiba my life!' He thought the full weight of what that meant weighing down on him. 'If it wasn't for him, I would be dead.' Joey closed his eyes tightly ignoring the conversation between the doctor and Seto. He didn't want to hear it. He wanted to just drift away.
He awoke to see Mokuba sitting on the floor petting a white and black dog. Sash, the dog who brought Seto to save me' Joey thought. "I see you're awake. The phone lines just started working; the phone is on the night stand if you would like to call your friends." He stated. "Seto won't let you leave this house for a week. The doctor said you need rest for a week. So he went ahead and called your dad letting him know. The schools know too."
"Do you think they will be home now?"
Mokuba nodded. "We have a snow day from school. The blizzard really messed things up. They have a lot of workers trying to clear the snow off the roads."
Joey nodded and picked up the phone, Mokuba seeing this waved and took Sash with him. Joey dialed Yugis number and waited. "Hello." He heard a soft voice and new it was Yugis.
"How ya doing?"
"Joey! I was so worried about you. Where have you been? I called your dad."
"I know. I somehow walked to Seto Kaibas house instead of my own. I guess I fell asleep in the storm 'cuz I woke up here. Seto says I suffered from hypothermia and the doctor he brought in after the storm says I need a week worth of rest. So moneybags is making me stay here. The jerk."
Yugi was silent before his voice came back on the phone. "I think I'm glad he saved you Joey. I think that I will call him and see if he will let us come over."
"Tha' would be great." Joey said yawning. "I'm not sayin' I'm not grateful. I just don' want him sayin' I owe him."
"I know what you mean." Yugi said yawning. "He can be rude sometimes. I have to go Joey, Tea and I are going sledding."
Joey rolled his eyes. Tea of course, she was more important to him than anything else. "Okay. Have fun bye." He hung up without giving Yugi the chance to say goodbye. He frowned when Seto came in the room.
"I have one question for you mutt, how can you be so stupid as to walk in the blizzard. You could have been killed." Seto stated. "You are lucky I even went outside at all. You owe me big."
Joey chuckled. "I jus' told Yugi ya would say that. I didn' know it was gonna be a blizzard. I was jus' tryin' to get home. But yeah I do owe ya. So spit it out what do you want?"
Seto smirked at Joeys' reaction. "That is the question isn't it? Okay I'll tell you I want……."
End for now.
AN: Please review. Tell me if I made any typos that I didn't catch. Did you love it? Did You Hate it? Tell me what you think, also if you have any suggestions, comments, corrective critiscm? I will be willing to hear them. I am an aspiring artist after all! Later!
